Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged Mothers
Working parents in are struggling to balance the demands of their occupation with those of childcare and homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, studies show that women are shouldering more of the burden and reporting greater levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression re...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.706120/full |
| _version_ | 1818846687724044288 |
|---|---|
| author | Brittany K. Taylor Michaela R. Frenzel Hallie J. Johnson Madelyn P. Willett Stuart F. White Amy S. Badura-Brack Tony W. Wilson |
| author_facet | Brittany K. Taylor Michaela R. Frenzel Hallie J. Johnson Madelyn P. Willett Stuart F. White Amy S. Badura-Brack Tony W. Wilson |
| author_sort | Brittany K. Taylor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Working parents in are struggling to balance the demands of their occupation with those of childcare and homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, studies show that women are shouldering more of the burden and reporting greater levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression relative to men. However, research has yet to show that increases in psychological symptoms are linked to changes in stress during the pandemic. Herein, we conduct a small-N study to explore the associations between stress and psychological symptoms during the pandemic among mothers using structural equation modeling, namely latent change score models. Thirty-three mothers completed questionnaires reporting current anxious and depressive symptoms (Beck Anxiety and Depression Index, respectively), as well as stressful life experiences prior to-versus during the pandemic (Social Readjustment Rating Scale). Women endorsed significantly more stressful events during the pandemic, relative to the pre-pandemic period. Additionally, 58% of mothers scored as moderate-to-high risk for developing a stress-related physical illness in the near future because of their pandemic-level stress. Depressive symptoms were associated with the degree of change in life stress, whereas anxiety symptoms were more related to pre-pandemic levels of stress. The present study preliminarily sheds light on the nuanced antecedents to mothers’ experiences of anxious and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although further work is needed in larger, more diverse samples of mothers, this study highlights the potential need for appropriate policies, and prevention and intervention programs to ameliorate the effects of pandemics on mothers’ mental health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:49:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1df4a230f36948059c2d92db96929468 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:49:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-1df4a230f36948059c2d92db969294682022-12-21T20:33:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-07-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.706120706120Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged MothersBrittany K. Taylor0Michaela R. Frenzel1Hallie J. Johnson2Madelyn P. Willett3Stuart F. White4Amy S. Badura-Brack5Tony W. Wilson6Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United StatesInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United StatesInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United StatesInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United StatesInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United StatesDepartment of Psychological Science, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United StatesInstitute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United StatesWorking parents in are struggling to balance the demands of their occupation with those of childcare and homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, studies show that women are shouldering more of the burden and reporting greater levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression relative to men. However, research has yet to show that increases in psychological symptoms are linked to changes in stress during the pandemic. Herein, we conduct a small-N study to explore the associations between stress and psychological symptoms during the pandemic among mothers using structural equation modeling, namely latent change score models. Thirty-three mothers completed questionnaires reporting current anxious and depressive symptoms (Beck Anxiety and Depression Index, respectively), as well as stressful life experiences prior to-versus during the pandemic (Social Readjustment Rating Scale). Women endorsed significantly more stressful events during the pandemic, relative to the pre-pandemic period. Additionally, 58% of mothers scored as moderate-to-high risk for developing a stress-related physical illness in the near future because of their pandemic-level stress. Depressive symptoms were associated with the degree of change in life stress, whereas anxiety symptoms were more related to pre-pandemic levels of stress. The present study preliminarily sheds light on the nuanced antecedents to mothers’ experiences of anxious and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although further work is needed in larger, more diverse samples of mothers, this study highlights the potential need for appropriate policies, and prevention and intervention programs to ameliorate the effects of pandemics on mothers’ mental health.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.706120/fullcoronavirus – COVID-19maternalstressanxietydepression |
| spellingShingle | Brittany K. Taylor Michaela R. Frenzel Hallie J. Johnson Madelyn P. Willett Stuart F. White Amy S. Badura-Brack Tony W. Wilson Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged Mothers Frontiers in Psychology coronavirus – COVID-19 maternal stress anxiety depression |
| title | Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged Mothers |
| title_full | Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged Mothers |
| title_fullStr | Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged Mothers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged Mothers |
| title_short | Increases in Stressors Prior to-Versus During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States Are Associated With Depression Among Middle-Aged Mothers |
| title_sort | increases in stressors prior to versus during the covid 19 pandemic in the united states are associated with depression among middle aged mothers |
| topic | coronavirus – COVID-19 maternal stress anxiety depression |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.706120/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brittanyktaylor increasesinstressorspriortoversusduringthecovid19pandemicintheunitedstatesareassociatedwithdepressionamongmiddleagedmothers AT michaelarfrenzel increasesinstressorspriortoversusduringthecovid19pandemicintheunitedstatesareassociatedwithdepressionamongmiddleagedmothers AT halliejjohnson increasesinstressorspriortoversusduringthecovid19pandemicintheunitedstatesareassociatedwithdepressionamongmiddleagedmothers AT madelynpwillett increasesinstressorspriortoversusduringthecovid19pandemicintheunitedstatesareassociatedwithdepressionamongmiddleagedmothers AT stuartfwhite increasesinstressorspriortoversusduringthecovid19pandemicintheunitedstatesareassociatedwithdepressionamongmiddleagedmothers AT amysbadurabrack increasesinstressorspriortoversusduringthecovid19pandemicintheunitedstatesareassociatedwithdepressionamongmiddleagedmothers AT tonywwilson increasesinstressorspriortoversusduringthecovid19pandemicintheunitedstatesareassociatedwithdepressionamongmiddleagedmothers |