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 effects of this mandated homeschooling on parents' mental health and substance use. In a study of 758 couples, 211 of whom were homeschooling, we contrasted homeschooling effects on general mental health (anxiety and depression) and on COVID-specific mental health (socioeconomic and traumatic stress), and on optimism. We also examined effects on coping-related use of alcohol and cannabis. Actor-partner interdependence model results demonstrated negative impacts of mandatory homeschooling; there were significantly lower levels of optimism and greater use of cannabis to cope and marginally higher use of alcohol to cope in couples who were versus were not homeschooling. These levels were higher than prepandemic norms. We then explored the parenting dynamic through actor and partner effects. Among homeschooling families, more time spent homeschooling was associated with increased anxiety, depression, and COVID-19-specific socioeconomic and traumatic stress in the homeschooling parent; for the homeschooler's partner, there was significantly increased alcohol use to cope and marginally increased traumatic stress. These findings highlight the need for the design and delivery of educational and mental health supports for parents during mandatory homeschooling required for COVID-19 and other pandemics-so that parents can best support their families through these uncertain times.