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Becoming a PARENT IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: FIRST INSIGHTS INTO THE “CORONA BABIES” STUDY

From May to June 2021, Prof. Manuel Schabus, together with Dr. Cristina Florea, Jasmin Preiß and Monika Angerer, investigated how the pandemic affected parents’ experiences with their children before, during and after birth. During the online study, complete data sets of 1040 Austrian and 1080 German parents were collected.

The first results of the study show the diverse effects of the pandemic in Austria. Alongside reports of issues during pregnancy, birth and in postnatal support, there have also been some positive results: 44% of parents spend more time together with their child because of COVID-19.

Austrian parents’ experiences

Half of parents surveyed had their first child during the Corona pandemic, with more than a third welcoming a second child. Initial results show that although parents with multiple children were subjectively more stressed in the month before the survey, they felt less stressed by the pandemic than parents expecting their first child.

“Pandemic-related stress”, a measure developed in this study, includes several questions investigating possible adverse effects and their relation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include, for example, the lack of support from grandparents or other key caregivers, constraints on antenatal and midwifery care, worries about possible illnesses (for oneself or others) and negative influences on pregnancy and birth due to the pandemic. There was evidence of a positive correlation between the subjective experience of stress and the perceived pandemic-related stress, i.e. the higher the pandemic-related stress, the higher the subjective experience of stress.

Mothers who experienced beneficial effects from the pandemic during pregnancy are currently less stressed and reported fewer symptoms of depression. However, two-thirds of mothers who participated in the survey reported that the pandemic had negatively (49%) or very negatively (15%) affected their pregnancy. Mothers who experienced negative effects from the pandemic during pregnancy felt higher pandemic-related stress than others. On average, mothers participating in the survey were subjectively more stressed and found the pandemic to be more emotionally challenging than their partners. Participants with a lower monthly household income (under € 3,201) also reported significantly higher pandemic-related stress and more anxiety in the last month before the survey than participants with a higher income (between € 3,201 and € 5,800).

That being said, the baby seems to unknowingly play a protective role: 60% of parents report that it “gives them strength have a new baby” during the pandemic.

Support: an influential factor

Nearly one in two families (45%) reported that the “COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the relationship/contact between their child and their grandparents”. This meant less quality time with loved ones. 5% stated that more time was being spent together and half of the parents noticed no real change. 68% of parents say they received support from grandparents, 32% were not supported due to the COVID-19 pandemic (10%) or for other reasons (22%).

Austria versus Germany

German and Austrian parents seemed to experience the impact of the pandemic on pregnancy and birth in a very similar way, and the data collected on pandemic-related stress were also comparable. There were differences, however, in stress perceived over the month prior to the survey: The average experience of stress among German parents was significantly higher than that among Austrian parents. One third of Austrian parents anticipated a somewhat negative or strongly negative impact on their child’s health and development due to the COVID-19 pandemic. German parents were more pessimistic: 47% of the participants expected a rather or strongly negative influence.

Conclusion

The first results of the online survey indicate complex challenges for young parents in during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that additional effort is needed in order to support parents who are facing increased levels of stress especially in these times.

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Further Information

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Porträt Manuel Schabus im Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Manuel Schabus

Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Salzburg (CCNS) | Laboratory for "Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research"

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg | Department of Psychology

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34 | A-5020 Salzburg

Email to Univ.-Prof. Dr. Manuel Schabus