Abstract

As Covid-19 pandemic prolongs, rapid changes of the social environment such as restrictions in schools and group gatherings are impacting parents and their children. The purpose of this study was to provide a basic guideline for parents of school-aged children to prepare for their alternative parenting in the Covid-19 pandemic by understanding the current status of their mental health and their parent-child relationship. An online survey was administered to 524 parents from 37 kindergartens and daycares, 21 elementary schools, and 23 middle and high schools in Seoul using individual mental health-related scales, parent-child relationship-related scales, parental efficacy, and scales for measuring the degree of changes after Covid-19. Results showed that levels of depression and anxiety of parents were with in their normal ranges. However, participants experienced negative changes in their mental health after Covid-19. They had more worries and anxieties about the coronavirus. Both negative and positive changes were reported by recognitions of parents about their parent-child relationship after Covid-19. Moreover, mental health such as depression and anxiety in children represented an adverse change. Their smartphone and internet use showed increases. For realistic and practical intervention in advance, ways to utilize the current status of mental health in parents who are rearing children in Covid-19 and their parent-child relationship as elemental data are discussed.