Relationship between parents’ anxiety, stress, depression and their children’s health-related quality of life and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran

Abstract

Background In late 2019, a new respiratory illness was detected in Wuhan, China and was later designated as COVID-19 by the WHO. Despite international efforts to impose restrictions and quarantine measures, the virus spreads rapidly across the globe. The pandemic has significantly impacted the mental health of both children and parents. This study investigates the relationship between parents’ anxiety, stress and depression, and Children’s Health-Related Quality of Life (CHQol) and externalised behavioural disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods This is a cross-sectional study that included 396 parents who have children between the ages of 6 and 18 years old. Sampling was done by designing an online questionnaire that was distributed on social media (WhatsApp and Telegram and native social media, such as Eitaa, Soroush and E-Gap). Inclusion criteria were all citizens living in rural and urban areas of Rafsanjan, citizens living in Rafsanjan city for 1 year and having children aged 6–18 years old. We used a demographic information questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21, CHQol and Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment to collect data.Results We found a positive significant correlation between anxiety (r=0.334), stress (r=0.354), depression (r=0.324) and externalised behavioural disorder (p<0.001). Depression and anxiety predicted 22% of the variance of the CHQol (p<0.001) while age, stress, use of masks and gloves to prevent infection, and anxiety predicted 19% of the variance of externalised behavioural disorder (p<0.001).Conclusion Parents experienced high levels of symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression during the COVID-19 outbreak, which can be associated with behavioural disorders in their children and negatively impact their health. Therefore, it is crucial to pay more attention to the mental state of parents and its complications for children.