Parental opinions and anxiety levels regarding the effects of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on their children

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to determine the anxiety levels of 540 parents, based on their COVID-19 experiences and views, and their effects on their children on online platforms between February and May 2021. The anxiety score of parents who had contracted COVID-19 or whose children had contracted COVID-19 was higher than that of parents whose children had not contracted. The parents’ main concerns were related to whether they, their child, or a family member would experience COVID-19 complications if their children contracted COVID-19, hospitalization during the pandemic, transmission of the virus to children, and the long-term impact of the pandemic on children. Protecting parents’ mental health is essential because of its effects on children’s mental health. Therefore, focusing on prevention methods and providing accurate information during and after the pandemic to improve parents’ knowledge is essential.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the parents who agreed to participate in the study and offered their valuable opinions about the subject.

Disclosure statement

This study is conducted by the researchers without a conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

The necessary permissions for the study were obtained from the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health (2021–01-29T14_28_34). Ethics committee approval of the study was obtained from Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee (05.03.2021/10). Before parents began filling out the online questionnaire, they were provided an informed consent form; once they checked the box indicating their acceptance of the study, they were directed to the questions regarding the research. The parents were informed online that their participation was voluntary and that they could leave the study anytime.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from public, commercial, or not-for-profit funding agencies.