Child / Adolescent - Trauma / Maltreatment
Rachael Rich, B.S.
Clinical Research Coordinator for Kate McLaughlin's Stress & Development Lab
Harvard University
Boston, Massachusetts
Rachel Romeo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Maya Rosen, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Alexandra Rodman, Ph.D.
Postdoc
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Steven W. Kasparek, M.A.
Doctoral Candidate
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Kate A. McLaughlin, Ph.D.
Professor
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Makeda Mayes, B.A.
Research Coordinator
University of Washington, Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Liliana Lengua, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
Andrew N. Meltzoff, Ph.D.
Professor and Co-Director
University of Washington, Seattle
Seattle, Washington
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced numerous stressors into the lives of youth, which has resulted in increased symptoms of both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology (Rosen et al., 2021). Notably, individuals who have experienced early life adversity may exhibit increased vulnerability to developing psychopathology following stressful life events later in life, known as stress sensitization (Hammen et al., 2000; Harkness & Hayden, 2020). This study examines several potential risk and protective factors that might moderate the association between pandemic-related stressors and youth psychopathology. We hypothesize that exposure to violence and low socioeconomic status (SES) will make youth more vulnerable to pandemic-related stressors, as these are common forms of early adversity.We further posit executive functioning (EF) skills as protective against stress and psychopathology, as high levels of EF are associated with lower levels of psychopathology, particularly following exposure to stress (Davidovich et al., 2016).
This study utilizes a longitudinal sample of children and adolescents (n=222, 48% female) aged 7-15 years (M=12.65), with rich pre-pandemic measures that allow us to examine predictors of increases in symptoms of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology during the pandemic, relative to pre-pandemic levels. Prior exposure to violence, family SES (income-to-needs ratio), and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology were assessed 18-24 months prior to the pandemic, while measures of pandemic-related health, financial, social, school, and physical environment stressors were assessed during the beginning of the pandemic (April-May 2020), along with internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. After controlling for pre-pandemic psychopathology, prior violence exposure moderated the association between pandemic-related stressors and increases in internalizing psychopathology during the pandemic (ß=.36,p=.03). Consistent with a stress sensitization pattern, youth who had experienced violence exhibited stronger associations between the number of pandemic-related stressors and increases in internalizing psychopathology than youth who had not experienced violence. Youth with higher EF skills exhibited lower increases in externalizing psychopathology during the pandemic, regardless of their exposure to pandemic-related stressors (ß= -0.15,p=.02). No associations were observed for SES.
These results suggest that children with prior violence exposure are a high priority for interventions to prevent stress-related psychopathology, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, it suggests that strong EF is associated with lower externalizing psychopathology, regardless of the level of stress exposure. These findings help to highlight risk factors that may increase vulnerability to pandemic-related stressors for youth, as well as point to the role that EF skills may play in reducing vulnerability to externalizing psychopathology symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.