Parent and Child Anxiety Evaluated During an Early Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study

The objective of this study was to explore parent and child anxiety during the pandemic. Unlike previous pandemics, measures implemented to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been much more limiting.

An explanatory convergent mixed-methods design was used to describe anxiety of children 9-17 years of age and their parents during August-October 2020. Adult and child versions of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to examine levels as measured on STAI's state-anxiety subscale. Web-based interviews with a subset of patients were conducted qualitatively to analyze anxiety-related themes.

A total of 188 parents and 140 children responded to the questionnaires. Mean overall anxiety scores for parents (49.17 [standard deviation: 12.247]) and children (35.43 [standard deviation: 7.894]) were higher than published norms. Parent and child anxiety were positively correlated (r=0.36; P=0.01). From interviews with 11 parents and 11 children; 4 major themes and 10 subthemes describing physical and emotional outcomes resulting from limited social contact, work and family role strain, and uncertainty about COVID-19 were identified.

Parents and children reported elevated anxiety levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings of this study can guide the development of strategies that mitigate the negative impact of isolation, role strain, and uncertainty related to future public health crises.