Parenting Through a Pandemic: Mental Health and Substance Use Consequences of Mandated Homeschooling

The declaration of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic led to the closures of schools worldwide to contain disease spread. In the present study, we examine the effectsof this mandated homeschooling on parents’ mental health and substance use. In a study of758 couples, 211 of whom were homeschooling, we contrasted homeschooling effects ongeneral mental health (anxiety and depression) and on COVID-specific mental health(socioeconomic and traumatic stress), and on optimism. We also examined effects oncoping-related use of alcohol and cannabis. Actor–partner interdependence model resultsdemonstrated negative impacts of mandatory homeschooling; there were significantly lowerlevels of optimism and greater use of cannabis to cope and marginally higher use of alcoholto cope in couples who were versus were not homeschooling. These levels were higher thanprepandemic norms. We then explored the parenting dynamic through actor and partnereffects. Among homeschooling families, more time spent homeschooling was associatedwith increased anxiety, depression, and COVID-19-specific socioeconomic and traumaticstress in the homeschooling parent; for the homeschooler’s partner, there was significantlyincreased alcohol use to cope and marginally increased traumatic stress. These findingshighlight the need for the design and delivery of educational and mental health supports forparents during mandatory homeschooling required for COVID-19 and other pandemics—sothat parents can best support their families through these uncertain times.