Parents' Family Coping Strategies during the Pandemic: Effects on Parent and Child Well-Being

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a significant challenge to the wellbeing of parents, children, and families. The present study aimed to understand the strategies families used to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and their effects on family and individual functioning. In April and May 2020, and then one month later, 277 parents from 174 families who had previously participated in a trial of a family preventive intervention were invited to participate in an online survey regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents were asked to share the strategies they were using to cope that they found most effective, and responses were coded into 4 groups of coping strategies: Family Cohesion, Adaptability, Child-Focused, and Healthy Habits. At both months of data collection, parents completed measures regarding parent and child mental health and well-being, couple and coparenting relationship quality, parenting quality, and family cohesion. Strategies that fell under Family Cohesion, Child-Focused, and Healthy Habits did not predict any of the outcomes. Adaptability was associated with increases in couple relationship quality and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors from Month 1 to Month 2. The results suggest that the strategies parents use to help their families cope with COVID may have differing effects on parents and children.