DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-127431/v1
Background
The current situation caused by the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic is associated with serious losses for everyone and has worldwide effects on social life, politics, the economy and the media worldwide. Preventive isolation and social distancing strategies faced the families with a large number of different challenges. The current epidemic and quarantine restrictions have a verifiable influence on the emotional and social development of children and adolescents. In the current situation, children of parents who have already been mentally stressed seem particularly at risk.
Objective
We aimed to assess the role of maternal daily perceived stress on children’s mental health during SARS-CoV-2-pandemic.
Method
A “SARS-CoV-2-pandemic survey" was developed assessing to record the child's mental health since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To describe the maternal perceived everyday stress data from a longitudinal survey was used. For estimation we use Tobit models.
Results
Our results show a positive and significant relationship between the maternal perceived everyday stress and both the emotional stress and hyperactivity of the child. In summary, we find the maternal perceived everyday stress to increase child's mental distress.
Conclusions
Analyses illustrate effects on child's mental distress during pandemic everyday life. Future research needs to identify influencing factors both with regard to political, economic and social restrictions in order to prevent mental health of children.