Household Chaos and Caregivers’ and Young Children’s Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mediation Model

Based on 764 households with young children in Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 pandemic started, this study investigated how household chaos during the pandemic was associated with the mental health problems of children and their caregivers. It also examined the familial correlates of household chaos. The results showed that household chaos was associated with caregiver-rated symptoms of anxiety/withdrawal, fearfulness and acting out exhibited by young children and the symptoms of anxiety and depression in their caregivers. Moreover, caregivers’ depression and anxiety mediated the relations between household chaos and caregiver-rated child mental health problems. Additionally, caregivers living in families with a single caregiver, a larger family size, poorer physical health, and more significant income loss reported greater levels of household chaos during the pandemic. These findings highlight the importance of reducing household chaos to promote the mental health of young children and their caregivers during the pandemic. They also underscore the need to identify families with high levels of chaos based on key background variables.