Profs Present: "Wont someone please think of the parents!" A multilevel examination of family stress during COVID-19

"Wont someone please think of the parents!" - a multilevel examination of family stress during COVID-19

Abstract

There is growing evidence for the putative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on child and caregiver mental health. Most of this rapid-response research has been cross-sectional and focused on one-child-per-family. While informative, this methodology is not able to isolate the (a) direction of effects amongst contextual stressors, children, and caregivers, and (b) processes that are operative for entire families versus specific children. It is important to understand these nuances to best inform our public health disaster response, particularly in the arena of child and family mental health intervention planning. Are whole families feeling the stress of the pandemic, or are certain individuals and family subsystems most implicated? This colloquium will explore these questions using an ongoing international cohort of over 1000 children in 500 families, specially mobilized to explore family stress during the pandemic. Emphasis will be placed on “child-effects”, or the way in which COVID-19 related deterioration in children’s mental health may influence caregivers and the family system. Implications for intervention and policy will be discussed.

Registration link: https://ticketfi.com/event/4273/wont-someone-please-think-of-the-parents

Speaker

Dillon Browne

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Dillon Browne's program of research examines the influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, and socioeconomic status on human development. Dillon considers development in a variety of domains, including cognition, academic achievement, socioemotional functioning, behaviour, and mental health. The second arm of Dillon’s research program concerns the development, evaluation, and implementation of evidence-based interventions for children and whole families who are struggling with mental health and developmental challenges, particularly in settings of trauma and adversity.
 
Dillon is committed to developing partnerships with community service providers and making sure my research aims are embedded in the contexts in which families seek treatment.