Parental employment and family well-being during the COVID-19 onset

What is it about?

When parents lost their jobs during the pandemic, it often led to high stress in their families, which in turn was linked to parents and their kids feeling upset and sleeping poorly. Pandemic-era government subsidies reduced stress and improved psychological well-being in families experiencing job loss. When parents were able to work from home, their families usually had less stress than those experiencing job loss, which in turn made both parents and their kids feel less upset and sleep better. However, if families didn't have much money, the positive effects of working from home were not as strong.

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Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash

Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Our study highlights how sociohistorical events like the COVID-19 pandemic affect systems linked to family functioning. This study also reminds us that governments and employers play an important role in supporting family resilience. By encouraging family-oriented work policies and supporting economic recovery efforts, we can help parents and kids stay healthy and happy even when dealing with lots of stress.