Mental Health Outcomes for Children Engaging in Home-based Learning During COVID-19: The Role of Routines and Household Chaos

Abstract

The current thesis examined the impact of mandated home-based learning (HBL) on children’s mental health as well as the moderating role of routines and household chaos in this relation. Romantic couples (N = 717) with a child in grades 1-5 retrospectively reported online about their child’s emotions/behaviors during the period between January 15th - February 15th, 2021. Parent-reported levels of child internalizing and externalizing problems did not differ between mandated home-based and in-person learners. Mandated home-based learners showed more peer problems than in-person learners, as well as more externalizing problems generally (and conduct problems specifically) when following low levels of routine. Routine compensated for HBL’s adverse impact on peer problems and attenuated the relation between HBL and increased externalizing (and conduct) problems. Higher household chaos was associated with more internalizing and externalizing problems in all children but was not a particular risk factor for these problems during mandated HBL.