Pandemic Impact on Caregivers Outcomes (PICO): Mental health and equity in families
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on parents. School and childcare closures, balancing work and homeschooling, and reduced social support led to mental health struggles for many. Little is known about the long-term effects on parents' mental health. While many parents may show resilience after the pandemic, others may experience long-term mental health problems, affecting both their wellbeing and their children’s development.
Goal
In the PICO project we study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related measures on the mental health of parents with children at preschool age (0–4 years), primary school age (4–12 years) and adolescence (age 12–18 years). We will examine socioeconomic, cultural, and gender differences in parental mental health before, during, and after the pandemic, and investigate which personal and environmental factors may explain these differences.
Approach
We use data from the Health Monitor (Gezondheidsmonitor), a large-scale survey conducted repeatedly between 2012 and 2024 to assess the health, well-being, and lifestyle of the Dutch population. Using this data, we compare the mental health of parents with children in preschool age, primary school age, and adolescence before the pandemic (2012 and 2016), during the pandemic (2020), at the end of the pandemic (2022), and 2 years later (2024). Next, we will examine socioeconomic, cultural, and gender differences in mental health and examine which factors - such as social support and resilience - may explain these differences.
Collaboration partners
The project team at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Health Sciences, consists of researchers with expertise in epidemiology, mental health, and COVID-19 research. The project is carried out in collaboration with the RIVM's Network for Health Research in Disasters (GOR)/COVID-19 Programme and the ZonMw-funded COCO project, which examines the medium-term effects of COVID-19 measures on the mental health, development, and equality of young children (0–4 years) and their parents using longitudinal cohort studies and creative participatory methods.
(expected) Results
The results are expected in the summer of 2026 and will be published in a scientific article and a factsheet for parents and professionals. These will show the extent to which COVID-19 measures affected parents' mental health up to 2.5 years after the pandemic. The findings will also be included in a policy advisory report with recommendations for promoting health and preventing inequality in future pandemic situations.