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Effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on caregiver mental health and the child caregiving environment in a low‐resource, rural context
Author(s) -
Pitchik Helen O.,
Tofail Fahmida,
Akter Fahmida,
Sultana Jesmin,
Shoab AKM,
Huda Tarique M. N.,
Forsyth Jenna E.,
Kaushal Natasha,
Jahir Tania,
Yeasmin Farzana,
Khan Rizwana,
Das Jyoti B.,
Hossain Md.,
Hasan Md. Rezaul,
Rahman Mahbubur,
Winch Peter J.,
Luby Stephen P.,
Fernald Lia C. H.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.13651
Subject(s) - mental health , pandemic , context (archaeology) , poverty , psychology , population , child development , depression (economics) , psychiatry , covid-19 , gerontology , medicine , demography , environmental health , economic growth , geography , disease , archaeology , pathology , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , macroeconomics
Early child development has been influenced directly and indirectly by the COVID‐19 pandemic, and these effects are exacerbated in contexts of poverty. This study estimates effects of the pandemic and subsequent population lockdowns on mental health, caregiving practices, and freedom of movement among female caregivers of children 6–27 months (50% female), in rural Bangladesh. A cohort ( N = 517) was assessed before and during the pandemic (May–June, 2019 and July–September, 2020). Caregivers who experienced more food insecurity and financial loss during the pandemic reported larger increases in depressive symptoms (0.26 SD , 95% CI 0.08–0.44; 0.21 SD , 0.04–0.40) compared to less affected caregivers. Stimulating caregiving and freedom of movement results were inconsistent. Increases in depressive symptoms during the pandemic may have consequences for child development.