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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
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Preschoolers' Self-Regulation and Behavior Problems in the Midst of Caregiver Depression and Chaos

Alysse J Kowalski1, Yan Wang2, Bridget Armstrong3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|February 20, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Preschoolers with better self-regulation skills before the pandemic showed fewer behavior problems during it. Stronger self-regulation offered protection, even amid caregiver stress and household chaos.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Home and child care routines are crucial for developing preschoolers' self-regulation.
  • COVID-19 closures led to increased caregiver depression, household chaos, and child behavior issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between preschoolers' pre-pandemic self-regulation and their behavior problems during the pandemic.
  • To investigate if self-regulation buffered against negative impacts of caregiver depressive symptoms and household chaos.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 264 preschoolers and their caregivers.
  • Assessed pre-pandemic self-regulation, pandemic-related caregiver depressive symptoms, household chaos, and child behavior problems.
  • Utilized linear mixed models to analyze predictors and moderators of behavior problems.

Main Results:

  • Pre-pandemic self-regulation significantly predicted fewer early pandemic behavior problems (β = -0.38).
  • This protective effect was moderated by caregiver depressive symptoms and household chaos.
  • The protective association persisted even with high levels of these challenges, though diminished when both co-occurred.

Conclusions:

  • Preschoolers' self-regulation, particularly inhibitory and emotional control, offers lasting benefits.
  • Self-regulation remains protective against behavior problems during crises, despite challenges.
  • Interventions supporting self-regulation may mitigate pandemic-related behavioral issues in children.
Abstract

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