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Working parents, financial insecurity, and childcare: mental health in the time of COVID-19 in the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Zhiming Cheng

    (University of New South Wales)

  • Silvia Mendolia

    (University of Wollongong)

  • Alfredo R. Paloyo

    (University of Wollongong)

  • David A. Savage

    (University of Newcastle)

  • Massimiliano Tani

    (University of New South Wales)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the policy measures to control its spread—lockdowns, physical distancing, and social isolation—have coincided with the deterioration of people’s mental well-being. We use data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) to document how this phenomenon is related to the situation of working parents who now have to manage competing time demands across the two life domains of work and home. We show that the deterioration of mental health is worse for working parents, and that it is strongly related to increased financial insecurity and time spent on childcare and home schooling. This burden is not shared equally between men and women, and between richer and poorer households. These inequalities ought to be taken into account when crafting policy responses.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhiming Cheng & Silvia Mendolia & Alfredo R. Paloyo & David A. Savage & Massimiliano Tani, 2021. "Working parents, financial insecurity, and childcare: mental health in the time of COVID-19 in the UK," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 123-144, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:19:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s11150-020-09538-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-020-09538-3
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    2. Malte Sandner & Alexander Patzina & Silke Anger & Sarah Bernhard & Hans Dietrich, 2023. "The COVID-19 pandemic, well-being, and transitions to post-secondary education," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 461-483, June.
    3. Bertoni, Marco & Cavapozzi, Danilo & Pasini, Giacomo & Pavese, Caterina, 2021. "Remote Working and Mental Health during the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic," IZA Discussion Papers 14773, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Chaudhuri, K & Howley, P., 2021. "The impact of Covid-19 vaccination for mental health," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 21/14, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    5. Seema Irshad & Nurjahan Begum, 2021. "COVID-19 and its psychological impact on working parents," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 24(1), pages 389-399, October.
    6. Shinsuke Asakawa & Fumio Ohtake, 2021. "Impact of Temporary School Closure Due to COVID-19 on the Academic Achievement of Elementary School Students," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 21-14, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    7. Bansak, Cynthia & Grossbard, Shoshana & Wong, Ho-Po Crystal, 2022. "Mothers’ caregiving during COVID: The impact of marital property laws on women’s labor force status," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    8. Anaya, L. & Howley, P. & Waqas, M. & Yalonetzky, G., 2021. "Locked down in distress: a causal estimation of the mental-health fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 21/10, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    9. Chaudhuri, Kausik & Howley, Peter, 2022. "The impact of COVID-19 vaccination for mental well-being," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    10. Moslehi, Solmaz & Parasnis, Jaai & Tani, Massimiliano & Vejayaratnam, Josephina, 2021. "Assaults during Lockdown in NSW and Victoria," IZA Discussion Papers 14573, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Williams, Shanna & Bruer, Kaila C. & Evans, Angela D. & Price, Heather L., 2022. "The impact of COVID-19 on Canadian child maltreatment workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    12. Solmaz Moslehi & Jaai Parasnis & Massimiliano Tani & Josephina Vejayaratnam, 2021. "Assaults during lockdown in New South Wales and Victoria," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 24(2), pages 199-212.
    13. Claryn S. J. Kung & Jingmin Zhu & Paola Zaninotto & Andrew Steptoe, 2023. "Changes in retirement plans in the English older population during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of health factors and financial insecurity," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Lindley, Joanne & Rienzo, Cinzia, 2021. "The Effect of Repeated Lockdowns during the Covid-19 Pandemic on UK Mental Health Outcomes," GLO Discussion Paper Series 977, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    15. Nadia Steiber & Christina Siegert & Stefan Vogtenhuber, 2021. "Die Erwerbssituation und subjektive finanzielle Lage privater Haushalte im Verlauf der Pandemie," Working Paper Reihe der AK Wien - Materialien zu Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft 222, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik.
    16. Etheridge, Ben & Spantig, Lisa, 2022. "The gender gap in mental well-being at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from the UK," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    17. Ayala, Luis & Bárcena-Martín, Elena & Cantó, Olga & Navarro, Carolina, 2022. "COVID-19 lockdown and housing deprivation across European countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    18. Danilo Cavapozzi, 2022. "The causal impact of remote working on depression during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic," French Stata Users' Group Meetings 2022 10, Stata Users Group.

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