The Impact of Coparenting on Mothers’ COVID-19-Related Stressors

Marsha Kline Pruett,Jonathan Alschech,Michael Saini

doi:10.3390/socsci10080311

Marsha Kline Pruett, Jonathan Alschech + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10080311

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Abstract

To test and explore whether more positive coparenting will significantly predict lower COVID-19-related stress across family configurations and dynamics and across both higher- and lower-income mothers, we developed and circulated an online survey among mothers from the U.S. and Canada. Coparenting was measured using the Coparenting Across Family Structures (CoPAFS) short form (27 items) scale, comprised of factors representing five coparenting dimensions: communication, respect, trust, animosity, and valuing the other parent. Items specific to COVID-19 stressors assessed the types of stressors each parent faced. The sample consisted of 236 North American mothers, mostly white (n = 187, 79.2%) and aged 30–50 years. The surveyed mothers reported a consistent and significant relation between more positive coparenting and less COVID-19-related stressors whether parents were living together or not, married or divorced, and with a lower or higher income level, suggesting the importance and centrality of positive coparenting as a key factor for family well-being. Coparenting was especially predictive among mothers who were never married and those with lower incomes.

Highlights

IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
Communication and respect were the most important factors for mothers in intact families as well as for divorced/separated mothers, while trust was the most important factor for mothers who never lived with the coparent of their child. This is the first known study to begin exploring the impact of coparenting on mothers in the U.S and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, across family structures and between higher- and lower-income levels
Noteworthy is the comparison we present between intact, separated/divorced, and never-together families, centering coparenting as a key factor in family coping, exploring the different relative importance of the factors composing the construct of coparenting between different family structures and income levels

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Efforts to prevent or slow the spread of the virus have required families to adjust to new social distancing measures as part of the normal rhythms of everyday life. These safety measures, while critical to implement, have associated costs. Physical distancing measures contribute to increased feelings of isolation, stress, and anxiety, mood disorders, sleep issues, PTSD, and emotional burnout

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