A systematic review comparing pre-post COVID-19 pandemic parenting style and mental health-related factors

Background

Parenting stress has grown dramatically as a result of the pandemic, according to a systematic analysis that compared parenting styles and mental health-related factors before and during COVID-19. Regarding the COVID-19 epidemic, parents reported feeling more stressed. This included anxiety about their kids' health and safety, financial hardships, and interruptions to their regular routines and support networks. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the pandemic had a detrimental effect on parents' mental health, with greater rates of anxiety, sadness, and overall psychological distress among parents. These findings demonstrate the intricate interactions that exist between personal variables and exogenous stressors like the pandemic that affect parenting stress. The COVID-19 pandemic and other external stressors, financial hardships, and marital status are only a few of the variables that might affect parenting stress overall. Consequently, while analyzing parenting stress, creating parent support interventions, and contrasting pre- and post-COVID-19 patterns, it is imperative to take these diverse elements into account.

Method

This study includes material from three well-known databases that are used by scholars all around the world: Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), and Google Scholar. The records were screened during the review process using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) methodology.

Results

We evaluated 10,053 abstracts and titles found through Google Scholar and database searches. After a complete text screening of 253 publications, 18 research were included in our study. According to the data retrieved from every database, the research questions in this study are multidisciplinary in nature, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of healthcare and the development of new healthcare technologies. The most prevalent discipline is psychology, which is followed by medicine, social sciences, environmental sciences, and the arts and humanities. Additionally, for each year between 2018 and 2023, a clear change in the publishing and citation trends is apparent. With a total of 8 publications, 2022 notably has the most publications ever recorded. In 2020, citations from five publications reached their high, indicating a peak in citation scores. The meta-analysis from all highlighted studies indicated a significant influence of parenting style on parental well-being. However, they also noted additional psychological and social factors contributing to parental mental health. Some studies examined the mental health of both parents collectively, while others focused on individual mothers and fathers. Moreover, COVID-19 significantly impacted parenting style, parental stress, and caregivers' mental health, leading to noticeable shifts compared to pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods.

Conclusions

As a whole, the results of this systematic review offer practitioners in a variety of fields useful information, such as clinical psychiatry, psychology, counseling, and therapy. Health practitioners can effectively limit the effects of psychological and social determinants on parenting styles on parental well-being by recognizing these aspects among parents worldwide. Numerous elements are included in this list, including the use of digital media, self-compassion, anxiety, stress related to parenting, altruistic conduct, mental health, parenting style, and mental health of children. In order to tackle these issues, medical professionals might concentrate on improving parents' coping strategies for handling mental health problems while also trying to reduce their frequency. To help parents effectively navigate these complications, it also makes sense to prioritize the provision of additional social support as a proactive measure or intervention.