Abstract
The present study uses a qualitative approach to understand the impact of COVID-19 on family life. Australian parents of children aged 0–18 years were recruited via social media between April 8 and April 28, 2020, when Australians were experiencing social distancing/isolation measures for the first time. As part of a larger survey, participants were asked to respond via an open-ended question about how COVID-19 had impacted their family. A total of 2,130 parents were included and represented a diverse range of family backgrounds. Inductive template thematic analysis was used to understand patterns of meaning across the texts. Six themes were derived from the data, including “Boredom, depression and suicide: A spectrum of emotion,” “Families are missing the things that keep them healthy,” “Changing family relationships: The push pull of intimacy,” “The unprecedented demands of parenthood,” “The unequal burden of COVID-19,” and “Holding on to positivity.” Overall, the findings demonstrated a breadth of responses. Messages around loss and challenge were predominant, with many families reporting mental health difficulties and strained family relationships. However, not all families were negatively impacted by the restrictions, with some families reporting positive benefits and meaning, including opportunities for strengthening relationships, finding new hobbies, and developing positive characteristics such as appreciation, gratitude, and tolerance.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented shutdowns, shortages, and sources of stress for individuals and families across the world
COVID-19 and Australian Families risks to the population, over and above the health threat associated with COVID-19, including compromised family mental health and relationships (Holmes et al, 2020)
In addition to experiencing physical and mental health burden associated with COVID-19, Australians were in the unfortunate position of already undergoing significant hardship, having experienced devastating bushfires and floods directly before the pandemic
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented shutdowns, shortages, and sources of stress for individuals and families across the world. The Australian federal and state governments introduced an increasingly strict regime of social distancing/isolation measures to slow the rate of infection early in the pandemic (March to April 2020). COVID-19 and Australian Families risks to the population, over and above the health threat associated with COVID-19, including compromised family mental health and relationships (Holmes et al, 2020). In addition to experiencing physical and mental health burden associated with COVID-19, Australians were in the unfortunate position of already undergoing significant hardship, having experienced devastating bushfires and floods directly before the pandemic. It is important to understand the specific responses of Australian families, given that their psychological and financial resources may have already been compromised before the pandemic’s emergence
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