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. 2022 Mar;42(3):359-388.
doi: 10.1177/02724316211036744.

COVID-19 Life Events Spill-Over on Family Functioning and Adolescent Adjustment

Andrea M Hussong  1 , Allegra J Midgette  1 , Adrianna N Richards  1 , Rachel C Petrie  1 , Jennifer L Coffman  2 , Taylor E Thomas  1
Affiliations

COVID-19 Life Events Spill-Over on Family Functioning and Adolescent Adjustment

Andrea M Hussong et al. J Early Adolesc. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

We examined US parent and youth perceptions of how life events, both positive and negative, associated with COVID-19 resulted in changes in family and youth functioning. Families (n = 105, 80% white, 48% male, and 87% mothers) completed surveys during the pandemic (May to July 2020) and 3 years prior (for youth ages M = 10.6, SD = 1.17 and M = 13.6, SD = 1.19). Declines in youth, though not parent, report of open family communication, parental support, and family satisfaction were found. Declines were associated with various domains of pandemic-related stress in parent report, though positive life events served as buffers. Pre-pandemic family functioning also predicted pandemic stress. Spillover effects in turn impacted youth functioning. The current findings shed light on how experiences of the pandemic are linked with family functioning and have implications for how to support families during this time.

Keywords: communication; family; parent-adolescent relationships; stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Conceptual model.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Parent Report Model for Direct and Spillover Effects. Note.: PR = parent report; Comm = communication; Qlty = quality. W4 = wave four; W9 = wave 9. Prediction of family open communication and parental support of youth from family satisfaction indicated by boxed A and B pathways, respectively. Gray lines are control pathways. Dark lines are significant at p < .05 and dashed lines at p < .10.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Child Report Model for Direct and Spillover Effects. Note. CR = child report; Comm = communication; Qlty = quality; SES = socio-economic status. W4 = wave four; W9 = wave 9. Prediction of family open communication and parental support of youth from family satisfaction indicated by boxed A and B pathways, respectively. Gray lines are control pathways. Dark lines are significant at p < .05 and dashed lines at p < .10.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Parent Report Model for Pre-Existing Family Functioning and Pandemic-Related Life Events. Note.: PR = parent report; Comm = communication; Qlty = quality; SES = socio-economic status. W4 = wave four; W9 = wave 9. Direct paths from wave four to wave nine family functioning variables depicted by grayed lines (results not reported here). Gray lines are control pathways. Dark lines are significant at p < .05 and dashed lines at p < .10.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Child Report Model for Pre-Existing Family Functioning and Pandemic-Related Life Events. Note. CR = child report; Comm = communication; Qlty = quality. W4 = wave four; W9 = wave 9. Direct paths from wave four to wave nine family functioning variables depicted by grayed lines (results not reported here). Gray lines are control pathways. Dark lines are significant at p < .05 and dashed lines at p < .10.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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