Economic stress, parenting, and adolescents’ adjustment during the COVID ‐19 pandemic
Abstract
Objective: This investigation examined pathways through which financial stress impacts parents’ and adolescents’ well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: Pandemic‐related stress (e.g., financial stress) experienced by parents may indirectly affect adolescents’ well‐being, although the pathways involved are currently unknown. Method: Families currently living in the United States and having adolescents between 12 and 18 years old participated in this investigation ( N = 272). Parents responded to questionnaires online about their financial situation, personal well‐being, relationship with their oldest typically developing adolescent (12–18 years old; M age = 14.74; SD age = 1.80; 46.4% young women), and their adolescents’ well‐being. Results: Higher levels of financial stress were related to higher levels of parental psychological distress, higher levels of parenting stress, and higher levels of adolescent loneliness. Higher stay‐at‐home intensity was related to higher levels of parenting stress, higher levels of parent–adolescent conflict, and poorer adolescent adjustment. Several significant indirect paths were identified between financial stress and adolescents’ adjustment. The relationship between financial stress and adolescents’ well‐being (i.e., internalizing behaviors and loneliness) was mediated by parental psychological distress and parenting stress. When parenting stress was a mediator, the effect was more pronounced the more time families spent at home. Conclusion: Parents who were worried about their financial situation had greater difficulty with psychological distress and parenting stress, especially when parents were spending more time at home. Implications: Understanding the way in which financial stress influences parents’ and adolescents’ adjustment during the pandemic will inform and prepare practitioners and policymakers for similar situations in the future.
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In some longitudinal studies, loneliness was only assessed at one time point, making it difficult to examine mean-level changes.
“In some longitudinal studies, loneliness was only assessed at one time point, making it difficult to examine mean-level changes (e.g., [64,68,69]).”
From Loneliness and Well-Being in Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review (2023) · cites this paper as [69]
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- Authors
- Low, N., & Mounts, N. S.
- Affiliations
- Northern Illinois University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mounts, Nina S.
- Venue
- Family Relations
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2021-11-26
- Volume
- 71
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 90-107
- ISSN
- 0197-6664 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-3729
- OpenAlex
- W3215916205
- Cited by
- 69
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 12
- FWCI
- 8.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Family Relations (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Family Support in Illness
- Keywords
- financial stress, COVID-19 pandemic, parental stress, adolescent adjustment, parental psychological distress, adolescent loneliness, parent-adolescent conflict, internalizing problems, family well-being
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