The disparate impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of female and male caregivers.

Publisher: Pergamon Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8303205 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-5347 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 02779536 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Soc Sci Med Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Oxford ; New York : Pergamon, c1982-

COVID-19* ; Caregivers* ; Mental Health*; Adolescent ; Australia/epidemiology ; Canada ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pandemics ; SARS-CoV-2 ; United Kingdom/epidemiology ; United States

Caregiver mental health is crucial to the wellbeing of children. This is most apparent when caregivers face high levels of stress or life adversity. To study this phenomenon in the current global context, this study examined the relation between stress/disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health of female and male caregivers. Pre-pandemic childhood adversity was considered as a moderator of this association. A multi-national sample (United Kingdom, 76%; United States, 19%; Canada, 4%, and Australia, 1%) was recruited in May 2020, of whom 348 female and 143 male caregivers of 5-18 year-old children provided data on the constructs of interest. At this time, caregivers reported on their history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and COVID stress/disruption. About two months later (July 2020) caregiver mental health was evaluated. We examined differences between female and male caregivers on ACEs, COVID stress/disruption, and mental health (distress, anxiety, substance use, and posttraumatic stress). Main and interactive effects of ACEs and COVID stress/disruption on each mental health outcome were examined. Female caregivers reported higher COVID stress/disruption, more ACEs, and greater distress, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms compared to male caregivers. Among female caregivers, higher COVID stress/disruption and more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) independently predicted all mental health outcomes, consistent with a stress accumulation model. Among male caregivers, a pattern of interactions between COVID stress/disruption and ACEs suggested that the effects of COVID stress/disruption on mental health was stronger for those with higher ACEs, especially for substance use, consistent with a stress sensitization model. Higher levels of stress and mental health difficulties among female caregivers suggests a disproportionate burden due to pandemic-related disruption compared to male caregivers. Findings speak to the disparate effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of female compared to male caregivers, and the role of pre-existing vulnerabilities in shaping current adaptation.
(Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Brain Behav Immun. 2020 Oct;89:531-542. (PMID: 32485289)
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2006 Jan;61(1):P33-45. (PMID: 16399940)
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2020 Oct;44(10):2073-2083. (PMID: 32870516)
Am Psychol. 2020 Jul-Aug;75(5):631-643. (PMID: 32437181)
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2020 Aug;66(5):504-511. (PMID: 32380879)
Psychol Bull. 2013 Nov;139(6):1342-96. (PMID: 23566018)
Br J Psychiatry. 2012 Feb;200(2):107-15. (PMID: 22157798)
Psychiatry Res. 2020 May;287:112921. (PMID: 32240896)
Child Abuse Negl. 2015 Oct;48:13-21. (PMID: 26259971)
Child Abuse Negl. 2019 Dec;98:104172. (PMID: 31698284)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 May 02;17(9):. (PMID: 32370116)
J Affect Disord. 2020 Dec 1;277:55-64. (PMID: 32799105)
Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Dec;110(Pt 2):104709. (PMID: 32893003)
JAMA Netw Open. 2018 Nov 2;1(7):e185354. (PMID: 30646399)
Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2017 Jul;30(4):312-317. (PMID: 28441171)
Front Neuroendocrinol. 2014 Aug;35(3):303-19. (PMID: 24726661)
Pediatrics. 2020 Oct;146(4):. (PMID: 32709738)
J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2020 Apr;29(4):465-466. (PMID: 32320331)
Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2020 Oct;51(5):671-682. (PMID: 32749568)
Br J Psychiatry. 2010 Nov;197(5):378-85. (PMID: 21037215)
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2013 Feb;48(2):265-74. (PMID: 22684339)
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2019 Jan;44(1):45-58. (PMID: 30111811)
J Psychiatr Res. 2018 Dec;107:34-41. (PMID: 30316084)
Neurobiol Stress. 2021 Jan 06;14:100291. (PMID: 33532520)
Ann Intern Med. 2016 Nov 15;165(10):690-699. (PMID: 27595276)
QJM. 2020 Jun 22;:. (PMID: 32569360)
Psychol Med. 2010 Oct;40(10):1647-58. (PMID: 20018126)
Acta Neuropsychiatr. 2020 Aug;32(4):226-228. (PMID: 32319879)
Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Dec;110(Pt 2):104699. (PMID: 32859394)
Physiol Behav. 2012 Apr 12;106(1):29-39. (PMID: 21888923)
Nat Neurosci. 2015 Oct;18(10):1413-20. (PMID: 26404716)
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2017 Oct;45(7):1259-1270. (PMID: 28058518)
JAMA. 2014 Mar 12;311(10):1052-60. (PMID: 24618967)
Psychol Addict Behav. 2014 Dec;28(4):1117-26. (PMID: 25134042)
Soc Sci Med. 2020 Dec;266:113364. (PMID: 32950924)
J Gen Intern Med. 2020 Aug;35(8):2296-2303. (PMID: 32472486)
Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Dec;110(Pt 2):104667. (PMID: 32859393)
Am Psychol. 2005 Oct;60(7):735-6. (PMID: 16221013)
J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2012 Jul;73(4):559-69. (PMID: 22630794)
Psychol Bull. 2007 Mar;133(2):183-204. (PMID: 17338596)
Psychiatry Res. 2020 Sep;291:113267. (PMID: 32623266)
J Pediatr Psychol. 2020 Oct 1;45(9):983-989. (PMID: 32940702)
J Marriage Fam. 2010 Jun;72(3):685-704. (PMID: 20676350)
Int J Epidemiol. 2014 Apr;43(2):476-93. (PMID: 24648481)
Addict Behav. 2021 Feb;113:106661. (PMID: 33038682)
Clin Psychol Rev. 2004 Dec;24(8):981-1010. (PMID: 15533281)
Asian J Psychiatr. 2020 Aug;52:102066. (PMID: 32302935)
J Public Health (Oxf). 2014 Mar;36(1):81-91. (PMID: 23587573)
JAMA Pediatr. 2018 Nov 1;172(11):1038-1044. (PMID: 30242348)
Br J Psychiatry. 2002 Aug;181:158-62. (PMID: 12151288)
Dev Psychol. 2015 Nov;51(11):1630-44. (PMID: 26389605)
Front Neuroendocrinol. 2020 Oct;59:100858. (PMID: 32758482)
Am Psychol. 2021 Jan;76(1):14-25. (PMID: 32816503)
Curr Opin Psychol. 2017 Feb;13:85-90. (PMID: 28813301)
Brain Behav Immun. 2020 Jul;87:172-176. (PMID: 32405150)
Psychol Med. 2020 Nov 13;:1-10. (PMID: 33183370)
JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Jul 1;3(7):e2014053. (PMID: 32609353)
Psychol Trauma. 2020 Aug;12(S1):S79-S81. (PMID: 32525382)
J Intellect Disabil Res. 2020 Oct;64(10):739-749. (PMID: 32808424)
Br J Psychiatry. 2020 Jul;217(1):354-363. (PMID: 31610824)
Asian J Psychiatr. 2020 Jun;51:102076. (PMID: 32334409)
Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2020 Jan/Feb;28(1):4-13. (PMID: 31913978)
Lancet Public Health. 2017 Aug;2(8):e356-e366. (PMID: 29253477)
Psychol Med. 2002 Aug;32(6):959-76. (PMID: 12214795)

Keywords: ACEs; COVID-19; Caregivers; Early adversity; Mental health; Pandemic

Date Created: 20210313 Date Completed: 20210402 Latest Revision: 20221219

20231215

PMC9756753

10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113801

33713927