Parents’ views sought on the impact of Covid-19

Parents and caregivers are being asked to share their experiences of how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting their children’s lives.

A study by the School of Health in Social Science will seek to better understand how changes in home life have impacted children aged 1-5 years.

The UK Covid-19 Unmasked study will explore topics including daily routines, disruptive behaviours and disturbed sleep to examine how children are coping with the pandemic.

It will also examine how caregivers are coping and supporting young people.

International study

The study is part of a larger project called involving nine different countries.

Information is being gathered in

• Australia,
• Cyprus,
• Greece,
• the Netherlands,
• Poland,
• Spain,
• Turkey,
• the United Kingdom,
• and the United States.

Researchers say the vital insights that families provide will enable them to assess the impacts of Covid-19 on young children, and also help to inform interventions and policymaking.

We tend to think that young children are resilient because they are often shielded from the full effects of negative events, but the period from 1-5 years is really critical in terms of development. What happens to children at this age can have a longer-term impact.

The international project is led by Dr Alex de Young at the Children’s Health Queensland Hospital in Australia.

Covid-19 unmasked study questions (external website)

School of Health in Social Science

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