Evaluating the Mental Health Impacts of parents during the Adjustment of China’s Pandemic Policy: Roles of Socioeconomic Factors, Existing COVID-19 Experiences, and Lifestyles

In December 2022, China announced easing measures for COVID-19 as part of a pandemic policy adjustment. Uncertainty following adjustment and widespread infection had negative impacts on parents' mental health. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of policy change on mental health and identify risk and protective factors linked to parental mental health outcomes in the context of pandemic policy change and widespread public infection. During the first three weeks following the policy adjustment, a sample of 2385 Chinese parents' demographic data, infection conditions, preexisting COVID-19 experiences, perceived impacts, lifestyles, and mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, and parenting stress) were examined. The results revealed that 92.8% of the parents experienced infection after the policy adjustment. After the policy adjustment, parents with worse mental health conditions were linked to younger parents, lower social status scores, lower household income, and more children, and mothers. Parents who were classified as medium to high risk for COVID-19 reported higher levels of depression and felt that policy adjustment had more negative impacts. Quarantined parents experienced less depression, anxiety, and parenting stress. As a protective factor, greater sleep duration was associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and parenting stress, as well as more positive perceived impacts of policy adjustment among Chinese parents. Our findings support policy efforts that aid families with socioeconomic disadvantages and unfavorable prior COVID-19 experiences, and that have wide-ranging impacts on Chinese parents related to the adjustment of the COVID-19 pandemic policy. Our findings also imply that parents can support their own physical and mental health during a public mental health crisis by providing enough sleep, which is a straightforward yet effective strategy.