COVID-19 Parent Stress & Resilience Survey

We are excited to release the data Building Brains Together collected from our COVID-19 Parent Stress & Resilience survey early September 2020.

The Covid-19 Parent Stress and Resilience Survey was assembled to learn about the experiences of parents and families in the Lethbridge area as they respond to the ongoing realities of Covid-19. This survey is a follow-up to the initial Covid-19 Isolation Parent Survey Building Brains Together conducted in the spring of 2020. The data from this survey is being used to make recommendations regarding supports and services during the ongoing pandemic and in future crisis situations.

Collecting data on what has happened since COVID-19 hit, we looked at stress and learned parent’s top five stressors include education for their child(ren), their child(ren)’s return to school, parenting, finances and employment.  Overall, we found a 291% average increase in number of stress behaviours from pre-covid to now.

The survey also asked participants about resilience factors.  Resilience refers to the ability to adapt to or overcome challenges. Resilience factors are internal and external experiences, attitudes, and relationships that support an individual’s ability to respond to stress and adversity.  Looking at the “Most infrequently reported resilience factors” mental health has been noted as an important area parents are needing support in. 

Many families in the Lethbridge area have been finding opportunities over the last 6 months to strengthen their family relationships and adjust to the changing circumstances of the pandemic. The greatest challenges lie in suddenly tackling parenting in isolation from the supports and relationships that previously aided parents in their daily childcare, education, and general parenting tasks. Having a strong community and relationships outside of your household are key to supporting parents and children. As we move forward through the next stages of the pandemic, the room for growth lies in strengthening community ties and focusing on ways to reduce parents’ overall stress. Parents’ wellbeing is crucial for the wellbeing of kids.

We want to thank all the parents who participated in this survey.  Katy E. was the lucky survey participant winner of a $50 gift card to Superstore. 

Click HERE for the COVID-19 Parent Stress & Resilience summary data.