COVID-19 and families. Coping with parental anxiety and depression

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COVID-19
and families
Coping with
parental anxiety
and depression
In Canada, about 1 in 5 young people have a
parent who reports a high level of anxiety or
depression. In general, the scientic literature
indicates that these parents tend to
 be less available to meet the needs
of their children (e.g. helping with homework,
cuddling, cooking, dressing/bathing the child,
talking, communicating);
 teach their children fewer eective strategies
to deal with stressful situations;
 control or overprotect their children
(e.g. preventing them from going to the park to
meet friends or asking incessant questions);
 have more marital arguments and negative
interactions with their children;
 nd it more dicult to seek social support
and professional help;
 display facial expressions that show worry,
sadness, despair, etc. that may in turn
worry their children;
 perceive and present events in a pessimistic
or catastrophic way (e.g. believing and
saying that things always end badly); and
 entrust their children with heavy
responsibilities (e.g. conding in them).
Parental anxiety
or depression
© Aude Villatte and Geneviève Piché, professors in the Department of Psychology and Psychoeducation, UQO,
and co-directors of the LaPProche laboratory. Website: lapproche.uqo.ca

WHAT ABOUT
THEIR CHILDREN?
In the current context, young people
can also experience worry, sadness,
frustration, etc. Not being able to
see their friends or grandparents,
not being able to engage in their
usual activities, having to adapt to a
new lifestyle, and more, can be
destabilizing to many.
For those living with a parent
experiencing high levels of anxiety
or depression, the current
environment may be even more
dicult to manage. The wellbeing of
these children is therefore at risk.
Helpful
strategies
for families
AS A PARENT, IT IS IMPORTANT
THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF
YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH.
YOU CAN ALSO SHARE SOME
STRATEGIES WITH YOUR
CHILDREN. HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS
THAT MAY BE HELPFUL TO YOU
AND/OR YOUR CHILDREN:
TALKING ABOUT
YOUR FEELINGS
Don’t hesitate to
 share your feelings with your partner
or call a friend;
 explain to your children that they are
not responsible for your feelings and
that you have the tools to deal with
the sadness or worry you may be
experiencing about this situation;
 ask you children how they feel about
staying home all the time;
 pay attention to what your child tells
you and how they are behaving (e.g.
more irritable, trouble sleeping) as their
behaviours can be as telling as words;
 remind your child that you are always
there if they want to talk about their
feelings and concerns. Remember
that their feelings and concerns can
change over time.
ADD SOME FUN
TO THE AGENDA!
 List four simple pleasures you could
add to your week (e.g. watching a
good movie wrapped in a blanket,
dancing, calling a friend).
Julie is sad and has no energy.
For the past week, her two
children have been running
everywhere and there are toys
all over the house. Even getting
up in the morning is dicult. She
has distressing thoughts, such
as imagining that her neighbour,
who has COVID-19, could
contaminate her even though
she has had no recent contact
with him.
 To identify the main symptoms of anxiety and depression, and nd
a list of available help resources, refer to the document produced
by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux:
https://publications.msss.gouv.qc.ca/msss/chiers/2019/19-210-14WA.pdf
Within the context
of COVID-19
The current coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic is causing increased
stress, anxiety, and depression in
many adults. The fear of contracting
the virus or that a loved one will
be aected, the repercussions
of connement (isolation, loss of
routine, unemployment, etc.), and
the excessive media coverage
(notably social media) of the crisis
are some of the main causes.
Adults with children may face a
number of additional challenges:
work/family balance while
teleworking, prolonged separation
from children if custody is entrusted
to the other parent, the need to
monitor homework, etc.
This period may be particularly
dicult for those who tended to
be anxious or depressed before
the onset of the pandemic. For
example, they may now experience
more worry, physical discomfort,
dark thoughts, diculty sleeping, or
irritability.
© Aude Villatte and Geneviève Piché, professors in the Department of Psychology and Psychoeducation, UQO,
and co-directors of the LaPProche laboratory. Website: lapproche.uqo.ca

 Share your own ways of dealing
positively with anxiety or
depression with your child and
encourage them to nd their own
(e.g. baking their favourite cake,
playing a game).
 Writing, being physically active,
drawing, painting, or any other
activity you enjoy can help you
release your emotions.
BE STRONGER TOGETHER
 Maintain close contact with
your loved ones by phone,
Face Time, or other.
 Encourage your children to write
letters to their grand-parents,
phone their friends, prepare gifts
for people they look forward to
seeing, etc.
 Allow your teenagers to stay in touch
with their friends via social media.
MAINTAINING HEALTHY
LIFESTYLE HABITS
 Getting enough sleep, maintaining
a balanced diet, being physically
active, and keeping a regular
routine are all important.
 Your children may not necessarily
understand the importance of
maintaining these lifestyle habits
when they have to stay home all
day. Be sure to explain it to them!
 Limit screen time for you
and your kids.
STAY INFORMED -
IN SMALL DOSES
 Avoid spending too much time
watching the news, especially in
the evening before bed. A
maximum of one hour a day might
be enough, but if you start to feel
INFORMATION
FOR CHILDREN
 Comic strip
http://elisegravel.com/wp-
content/uploads/2020/03/
Coronavirus.jpg
 Video produced by CBC
https://www.cbc.ca/player/
play/1717047875867
 Stories
https://interagencystanding
committee.org/system/
les/2020-04/My%20Hero%
20is%20You%2C%20Storybook%
20for%20Children%20on%20
COVID-19.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?time_continue=143&v=
8mBWE--T9yQ&feature=emb_
logo
sad or anxious after 15 minutes, this
may be your personal limit.
 Your child probably has a lot of
questions. Don’t hesitate to answer
them or give them access to
information while limiting exposure
to news and social networks,
depending on their age.
YOU CAN REGAIN
A SENSE OF CONTROL!
 By following the recommended
action guidelines, you will feel that
you are ghting COVID-19 to the
best of your abilities.
 Encourage your children to follow
these guidelines as well and
explain to them that by doing so
they are protecting themselves
and the whole family.
© Aude Villatte and Geneviève Piché, professors in the Department of Psychology and Psychoeducation, UQO,
and co-directors of the LaPProche laboratory. Website: lapproche.uqo.ca

To cite this document: Villatte, A. & Piché, G. (2020). COVID-19
and families: coping with parental anxiety and depression
https://lapproche.uqo.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Guide_
Covid19_and_families_Eng.pdf
© Aude Villatte and Geneviève Piché, professors in the Department of Psychology
and Psychoeducation, UQO, and co-directors of the LaPProche laboratory.
Website: lapproche.uqo.ca; Email: lapp@uqo.ca; researchers at the CRUJeF
(https://www.crujef.ca) and the RRSPQ (https://www.santepop.qc.ca).
Photos : Istock
CHANGING YOUR
VISION OF THINGS
 Set realistic goals (e.g. don’t
expect to be as ecient at work
as you are during “normal” times;
tell yourself it’s ok to lose patience
from time to time).
 Identify ve positive aspects of the
situation (e.g. having more time to
rest, cooking with the family) and
discuss these with your children.
They probably also perceive
positive things, such as having more
time to play or chat together, and
less need to rush in the morning!
ALLOW YOURSELF
SOME TIME TO BREATHE
 Set aside 30 minutes a day just for
you. Notify the rest of the family
and don’t hesitate to put a reminder
on your cell phone to “force”
yourself to take that time!
 Remember that both children
and parents may need time
alone. Include these times
in the family schedule.
ASKING FOR HELP
SHOWS STRENGTH,
NOT WEAKNESS
 Don’t hesitate to enlist the help of
others according to their abilities
(e.g. ask the kids to do the dishes,
suggest to grandparents that they
call once a day for story time or
spelling practice).
 Visit one or more self-management
sites to help reduce your anxiety or
depression (e.g. https://allermieux.
criusmm.net).
 And nally, if you feel overwhelmed
with anxiety or depression, the
best option is to seek help. Meeting
with a counselling professional
online or by phone is possible.
See the following resources.
Mobile applications
and self-management
websites
For adults and teenagers:
 Calm is an application that helps
users with meditation, relaxation, and
sleep. During the COVID-19 pandemic,
Calm has released free digital oerings.
 PsyAssistance is a mobile
application aimed at preventing mental
illness. It helps with daily and crisis
mood manager. It provides a resource
directory, a mood journal, exercises to
improve wellbeing, and helps establish
a security plan in case of crisis.
For children:
 Rose Buddha Meditations.
On this website, Jean-François
Pronovost (Passe-Montagne) tells
stories and nursery rhymes, and
demonstrates exercises to help
children aged 4 to 10 alleviate stress,
manage their emotions, develop self-
condence, and sleep.
To obtain the free app:
1-Download the
Méditations Rose Buddha app
on your phone (FREE)
2-On the left menu,
select «Promo Code»
3-Enter the code OSCAR
Resources
for adults
 Suicide Action Montreal:
1 866-APELLE (277-3553)
 Info-santé: 811 option 2
(a nurse or social worker will oer
assistance and references)
 211 to nd community
and social resources
 Ligne parents: 1 800-361-5085
 SOS Violence conjugale
(teens and parents): 1 800-363-9010
 Réseau Avant de Craquer:
group of organizations that provide
services to family and friends of persons
with mental illnesses.
• Phone: 1 855-CRAQUER (272-7837)
• Website: avantdecraquer.com
(in French)
Resources
for youth
 Suicide Action Montreal
1 866-APELLE (277-3553)
 Tel-jeunes
• Phone: 1 800-263-2266
• Text: 514-600-1002
• Website: teljeunes.com
 Kids Help Phone
• Phone: 1 800-668-6868
• Text: Text CONNECT to 686868
• Website: Kidshelphone.ca