Short-term impacts of COVID-19 on family caregivers: Emotion regulation, coping, and mental health.

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.