Date Presented 03/23/24
This scoping review discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic affects caregivers of children and their occupations. It also reveals gaps in the literature regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregivers and their occupations specifically.
Primary Author and Speaker: Haley B. Murphy
Additional Authors and Speakers: Kristin Allen, Maggie Davis, Katie Parsons, Kimberly Shahan, Annlen Zorn, Sharon Cosper
PURPOSE: Due to changes in routines brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, caregiving has become a concern in regard to value of care and quality of life (Beach et al., 2021). Changes in caregivers’ roles, quality of life, and occupational performance is not reflected well in current literature. The purpose of this scoping review is to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupations of caregivers of children.
DESIGN: We conducted a scoping review using Levac et al. (2010) protocol.
METHOD: Databases searched January, 2023 included PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, as well as Centers for Disease Control and United States Department of Education gray literature. Inclusion criteria consisted of years 2020-2023, quantitative results, caregivers of children 0-18 years old, English translation, and occupation focused. A 2-stage screening process consisting of title and abstract was completed for 914 articles with 12 full read articles undergoing data extraction. Pertinent data extraction included affected caregiver occupations, positive/negative occupational impact, and overall conclusion.
RESULTS: Health management, IADLs, social participation, leisure, and rest & sleep revealed positive and negative results. Health management and IADLs were most impacted, specifically for quality of life, coping mechanisms for stress, time spent caregiving, and financial strain. ADLs were positively impacted, whereas work was negatively impacted through job loss and transition to remote work.
CONCLUSION: Results suggest occupations of caregivers of children were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic indicating the need for caregivers to adjust roles and routines throughout the pandemic.
IMPACT STATEMENT: Results indicate positive and negative impacts on occupations of caregivers of children due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Such evidence provides a greater understanding for families, policy makers, and healthcare providers.
References
Beach, S. R., Schulz, R., Donovan, H., & Rosland, A. M. (2021). Family caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gerontologist, 61(5), 650–660. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab049
Gadermann, A. C., Thomson, K. C., Richardson, C. G., Gagné, M., McAuliffe, C., Hirani, S., & Jenkins, E. (2021). Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: Findings from a national cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 11(1), Article e042871. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042871
Rizzo, R., Karlov, L., Maugeri, N., di Silvestre, S., & Eapen, V. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family wellbeing in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 17, 3007–3014. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S327092
Wearick-Silva, L. E., Richter, S. A., Viola, T. W., Nunes, M. L., & COVID-19 Sleep Research Group. (2022). Sleep quality among parents and their children during COVID-19 pandemic. Jornal de pediatria, 98(3), 248–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2021.07.002
