Objectives: Our aim is to understand the effect of the COVID pandemic on families who have been followed longitudinally in two cohorts studied in Alberta, Canada. We will examine household infections during the COVID pandemic, financial impact, domestic violence, substance use, child school and daily life and relationships in the home. We will identify risk and protective factors for maternal mental health outcomes using longitudinal data that can inform policy and government resource allocation in future disasters.
Mothers were asked to report on their own, their child's and their family's functioning. Mothers were re-surveyed at 6 months after completion of the initial COVID Impact Survey, and will be re-surveyed again at 12 months. Results: Responses from participants in both cohorts will be examined in harmonized analyses as well as separately.
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Descriptive, multivariable analysis will be undertaken to examine risk and resiliency over time and factors that predict mental health and well-being. It will identify risk and protective factors for mental health and well-being among contemporary urban families supported by a publicly funded health care system to inform allocation of resources to support those most vulnerable during a global pandemic. The COVID pandemic has placed families under significant stress due to disrupted economic instability, changes to family routine and fear of infection.
The lives of families living in Alberta Canada have been dramatically impacted by the COVID pandemic and may never return to normal. Some families may experience increased detrimental impacts from the COVID pandemic due to the following risk factors: food insecurity, domestic violence, alcohol and substance use, children's home schooling, parental responsibilities, children's social interactions, children's screen time, COVID household infections, financial concerns and maternal distress.
As Albertans aim to survive and recover from the impacts of the COVID pandemic, understanding how the risk and protective factors have impacted outcomes is needed. Early estimates suggest increased levels of anxiety, depression and stress during the COVID pandemic due to fears of contamination, infection, grief, stress, boredom and consequences of social and economic chaos 1 β 6. It is recognized that many people living in the province of Alberta, Canada are experiencing increased mental health difficulties during the current COVID pandemic, such as anxiety, stress and depression, along with problematic family relations and lifestyle challenges 7 , 8.
