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Stress, Resilience, and Well-Being in Italian Children and Their Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Maria Cusinato

    (Pediatric Diabetes Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy)

  • Sara Iannattone

    (Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy
    Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy)

  • Andrea Spoto

    (Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy)

  • Mikael Poli

    (Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy)

  • Carlo Moretti

    (Pediatric Diabetes Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy)

  • Michela Gatta

    (Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy)

  • Marina Miscioscia

    (Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy
    Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padua, Italy)

Abstract

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has forced parents and children to adopt significant changes in their daily routine, which has been a big challenge for families, with important implications for family stress. In this study, we aimed to analyze the potential risk and protective factors for parents’ and children’s well-being during a potentially traumatic event such as the COVID-19 quarantine. Specifically, we investigated parents’ and children’s well-being, parental stress, and children’s resilience. The study involved 463 Italian parents of children aged 5–17. All participants completed an online survey consisting of the Psychological General Well Being Index (PGWB) to assess parental well-being, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to measure children’s well-being, the Parent Stress Scale (PSS) to investigate parental stress, and the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-R) to measure children’s resilience. The results show that confinement measures and changes in daily routine negatively affect parents’ psychological dimensions, thus exposing children to a significant risk for their well-being. Our results also detect some risk factors for psychological maladjustments, such as parental stress, lower levels of resilience in children, changes in working conditions, and parental psychological, physical, or genetic problems. In this study, we attempted to identify the personal and contextual variables involved in the psychological adjustment to the COVID-19 quarantine to identify families at risk for maladjustment and pave the way for ad hoc intervention programs intended to support them. Our data show promising results for the early detection of the determinants of families’ psychological health. It is important to focus attention on the needs of families and children—including their mental health—to mitigate the health and economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Cusinato & Sara Iannattone & Andrea Spoto & Mikael Poli & Carlo Moretti & Michela Gatta & Marina Miscioscia, 2020. "Stress, Resilience, and Well-Being in Italian Children and Their Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:22:p:8297-:d:442580
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    1. Ledyard Tucker & Charles Lewis, 1973. "A reliability coefficient for maximum likelihood factor analysis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 38(1), pages 1-10, March.
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    2. Silvia Faccioli & Francesco Lombardi & Pierantonio Bellini & Stefania Costi & Silvia Sassi & Maria Cristina Pesci, 2021. "How Did Italian Adolescents with Disability and Parents Deal with the COVID-19 Emergency?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    3. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Alexandra Sandu & Chris Taylor & Jennifer May Hampton, 2024. "Children’s Subjective Well-Being During the Coronavirus Pandemic," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 309-347, February.
    4. Ana Luz Chorão & Maria Cristina Canavarro & Raquel Pires, 2022. "Explaining Parenting Stress among Adoptive Parents: The Contribution of Mindfulness, Psychological Flexibility, and Self-Compassion," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-20, November.
    5. Meichun Mohler-Kuo & Shota Dzemaili & Simon Foster & Laura Werlen & Susanne Walitza, 2021. "Stress and Mental Health among Children/Adolescents, Their Parents, and Young Adults during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Switzerland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-17, April.
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    7. Grazia Maria Giovanna Pastorino & Marianna Marino & Salvatore Aiello & Raffaella D’Auria & Rosaria Meccariello & Antonietta Santoro & Andrea Viggiano & Francesca Felicia Operto, 2023. "COVID-19 Pandemic: 1-Year Follow-Up in Children and Adolescents with Neuropsychiatric Disorders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, February.
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