Family stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative analysis

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand experiences with stress and coping strategies used among families in the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN/SETTING: This qualitative study took place in the paediatric outpatient clinics of a large academic medical centre in the USA between March and July of 2021. PARTICIPANTS: Parents (over the age of 18 years) of children under the age of 18 years were invited to complete a 30-minute semistructured interview. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were asked about types of stressors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and coping strategies used. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. In the grounded theory tradition, transcripts underwent thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 26 participants completed interviews, including 88% (n=23) women, 85% (n=22) reported having children under the age of 10 years and 65% (n=17) were 30–50 years of age. Themes that emerged included the compounding effect of COVID-19 stressors, in which participants described multiple, intersecting sources of stress. One parent noted, “I worked two different jobs, since the other job I had counted on working, I lost because of COVID. And so, working from home, also with the kids, was stressful.” The second theme reflected the challenges for children with virtual schooling due to decreased educational support. The third theme was the need for parental self-care. The fourth theme was finding the silver lining in which parents noted unforeseen opportunities for resilience by spending time in nature and activities promoting family bonding. CONCLUSIONS: Parents indicated need for self-care, connecting with their child(ren) and spending time in nature. Future work should develop approaches to support families in these areas when facing complex stressors, especially during a pandemic or other times of crisis.