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The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Families’ Mental Health: The Role Played by Parenting Stress, Parents’ Past Trauma, and Resilience

Author

Listed:
  • Eleonora Marzilli

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy)

  • Luca Cerniglia

    (Faculty of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, 00186 Rome, Italy)

  • Renata Tambelli

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy)

  • Elena Trombini

    (Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy)

  • Leonardo De Pascalis

    (Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy)

  • Alessandra Babore

    (Laboratory of Dynamic Psychology, Department of Psychological Sciences, Health and Territory, Università degli Studi “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy)

  • Carmen Trumello

    (Laboratory of Dynamic Psychology, Department of Psychological Sciences, Health and Territory, Università degli Studi “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy)

  • Silvia Cimino

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00186 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

International research has evidenced the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families, and the key role played by parenting stress levels. Although significant associations with parents’ past trauma and resilience have been shown, this study aimed to explore their complex interplay on the relationship between parents’ peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19, parenting stress, and children’s psychopathological difficulties. We recruited 353 parents with children aged two to 16 years via an online survey during the Italian second wave of COVID-19. Parents’ peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19, parenting stress, past trauma and resilience, and children’s psychological difficulties were assessed through self-report and report-form questionnaires. Parents’ past traumas significantly predicted peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 and children’s psychological difficulties. The relationship between past traumas and children’s psychological difficulties was serial mediated by parents’ peritraumatic distress and parenting stress. Direct and total effects of parent’s resilience on parent’s peritraumatic distress were not significant, but there were significant indirect effects via parenting stress and via parents’ peritraumatic distress and parenting stress, indicating inconsistent mediation. This study evidenced the key risk and protective role played by, respectively, parents’ past traumas exposure and resilience on the relationship between parents’ psychological difficulties due to COVID-19, parenting stress, and children’s psychological difficulties, with important clinical implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Eleonora Marzilli & Luca Cerniglia & Renata Tambelli & Elena Trombini & Leonardo De Pascalis & Alessandra Babore & Carmen Trumello & Silvia Cimino, 2021. "The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Families’ Mental Health: The Role Played by Parenting Stress, Parents’ Past Trauma, and Resilience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11450-:d:669056
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eleonora Marzilli & Luca Cerniglia & Giulia Ballarotto & Silvia Cimino, 2020. "Internet Addiction among Young Adult University Students: The Complex Interplay between Family Functioning, Impulsivity, Depression, and Anxiety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Luca Cerniglia & Eleonora Marzilli & Silvia Cimino, 2020. "Emotional-Behavioral Functioning, Maternal Psychopathologic Risk and Quality of Mother–Child Feeding Interactions in Children with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar & Genevieve E Chandler & Cynthia S Jacelon & Bhuwan Gautam & Elizabeth R Bertone-Johnson & Steven D Hollon, 2019. "Resilience and anxiety or depression among resettled Bhutanese adults in the United States," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 65(6), pages 496-506, September.
    4. Jan Chodkiewicz & Joanna Miniszewska & Emilia Krajewska & Przemysław Biliński, 2021. "Mental Health during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic—Polish Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-12, March.
    5. Silvia Cimino & Eleonora Marzilli & Mimma Tafà & Luca Cerniglia, 2020. "Emotional-Behavioral Regulation, Temperament and Parent–Child Interactions Are Associated with Dopamine Transporter Allelic Polymorphism in Early Childhood: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-17, November.
    6. Salima Meherali & Neelam Punjani & Samantha Louie-Poon & Komal Abdul Rahim & Jai K. Das & Rehana A. Salam & Zohra S. Lassi, 2021. "Mental Health of Children and Adolescents Amidst COVID-19 and Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-16, March.
    7. Renata Tambelli & Silvia Cimino & Eleonora Marzilli & Giulia Ballarotto & Luca Cerniglia, 2021. "Late Adolescents’ Attachment to Parents and Peers and Psychological Distress Resulting from COVID-19. A Study on the Mediation Role of Alexithymia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-17, October.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Verena Barbieri & Christian Josef Wiedermann & Anne Kaman & Michael Erhart & Giuliano Piccoliori & Barbara Plagg & Angelika Mahlknecht & Dietmar Ausserhofer & Adolf Engl & Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer, 2022. "Quality of Life and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents after the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Large Population-Based Survey in South Tyrol, Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, April.
    3. Markus Stracke & Miriam Heinzl & Anne Dorothee Müller & Kristin Gilbert & Anne Amalie Elgaard Thorup & Jean Lillian Paul & Hanna Christiansen, 2023. "Mental Health Is a Family Affair—Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Associations between Mental Health Problems in Parents and Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-18, March.

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