The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family functioning and assessment of psycho-social support needs

Abstract

Due to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus pandemic, almost all levels of society's functioning have undergone enormous changes. The effects of the pandemic were inevitably reflected in the population, with the fact that vulnerable, sensitive and resistant individuals and families were additionally affected due to their vulnerability. The newly created circumstances in that contact, which included quarantine, lockdown, the closing of schools, transition to a distance learning model, and working from home, adversely affected both the family as a system, i.e., family functioning, and parenting itself. This paper presents the findings of research carried out to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family functioning and the need for psychosocial support in the examined population of children and parents. The answers of 121 children and 219 parents from the territory of six municipalities of Belgrade and Pancevo were analyzed. Based on the analysis of the responses, it was determined that the majority of respondents recognize the adverse impact of the pandemic on the mental health of both children and parents, as well as the need for psychosocial support in order to improve individual and family functioning. The implications of these findings were discussed within the work, and recommendations were also defined for the creation of key activities and programs for building the capacity of family members in order to provide support in overcoming challenges in the field of family functioning, which were recognized to have arisen as a result of the pandemic and isolation.