Impact of COVID-19-Induced Home Quarantine on Parental Stress, as well as Anxiety and Depression among Children

Abstract

Background: One of the most important harmful effects related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the psychological effects that can affect all population groups. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of home quarantine caused by COVID-19 on parents' stress, as well as children's anxiety and depression. Methods: This study included 230 parents who had children aged 5-12 years. The data were collected using the Children Symptom Inventory (CSI-4) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), which were sent to people through the social messenger WhatsApp. (22). Different variables including the impact of the event, avoidance, intrusion, hyperarousal, anxiety, and depression were measured and analyzed using these two questionnaires. Results: The results of the correlation analysis showed that the impact of the quarantined event caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the IES-R subscales in parents were directly and significantly related to the anxiety and depression scores in their children. In addition, multivariate regression analysis showed that higher IES-R scores by parents can significantly predict higher anxiety and depression scores in children. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the home quarantine caused by the COVID-19 pandemic causes stress in parents and this also increases anxiety and depression in their children. Therefore, it is suggested that in addition to the management, control, and treatment of these types of pandemic diseases, special attention be paid to their psychological effects, especially during home quarantine.