Parent–Child Relationships and the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Qualitative Study with Parents in Early, Middle, and Late Adulthood
Date
2021-09Author
Vaterlaus, J. Mitchell
Shaffer, Tasha
Patten, Emily V.
Spruance, Lori A.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families is currently unknown. Parents and children have experienced a variety of changes as public health interventions have been implemented to slow the spread of the virus. The current exploratory qualitative study recruited parents (n = 365) in early (ages 20–34), middle (ages 35–64), and late (ages 65 and older) adulthood to understand how the early weeks of the pandemic influenced their parent–child relationships. Participants completed an online survey between March 21 and 31, 2020. Three themes emerged through qualitative content analysis: (1) relational steadiness, (2) navigating COVID-19 challenges in relationships, and (3) relational enhancement.
Description
This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10804-021-09381-5
Citation
Vaterlaus, J. M., Shaffer, T., Patten, E. V., & Spruance, L. A. (2021). Parent–child relationships and the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory qualitative study with parents in early, middle, and late adulthood. Journal of Adult Development, 28(3), 251-263.