Background
The negative mental health impact of coronavirus disease 2019‐related stressors may be heightened for those caring for children, who bear responsibity for their welfare during disasters.
Aim
Based on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, we inquired whether caregivers' emotion regulation and coping behavior were associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).
Materials & Methods
Data were collected through a national online survey in April 2020, and again 60 days later.
Results:Of the 801 longitudinal cases, 176 (63.6% female; mean age = 33.5) reported caring for minors in their homes during the pandemic. Over 20% of caregivers experienced clinically concerning PTSS, rates higher than their noncaregiving counterparts. Regression analysis indicates caregivers' baseline mental health symptoms and emotion regulation predicted PTSS 60 days later.
Discussion
Implications for needed parenting supports among families experiencing traumatic stress are provided.
Conclusion
Anxiety symptoms at baseline were the most significant and consistent contributor to all models and were significantly higher among those with clinically concerning levels of PTSS suggesting a clear intervention target.