Family responsibilities and mental health of kindergarten educators during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Ontario, Canada

Natalie Spadafora; Caroline Reid-Westoby; Molly Pottruff; Magdalena Janus

doi:10.1016/j.tate.2022.103735

Family responsibilities and mental health of kindergarten educators during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Ontario, Canada

Teach Teach Educ. 2022 Jul:115:103735. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2022.103735. Epub 2022 Apr 21.

Authors

Natalie Spadafora¹, Caroline Reid-Westoby¹, Molly Pottruff¹, Magdalena Janus¹

Affiliation

¹ Offord Centre for Child Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Canada.

Abstract

The present study, conducted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada, addressed the association between family responsibilities and mental health (depression and anxiety) among kindergarten educators. Participants comprised 1790 (97.9% female) kindergarten educators (73.6% kindergarten teachers; 26.4% early childhood educators) across Ontario. Results revealed that educators were more likely to report moderate levels of depressive symptoms if they had the responsibility of caring for their own children, and more likely to report moderate levels of depressive and anxious symptoms if they had the responsibility of caring for an older adult. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Family responsibilities; Kindergarten educators; Mental health.