Disruption and inequity in work, family and mental health: a longitudinal study of Australian mothers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was a time of major global disruption in work and family routines; yet experiences of disorder in jobs and home life, and related psychological distress varied across families. This study examined how inequities in socio-economic resources prior to the pandemic predicted working mothers’ work-family disruption and deterioration in mental health during the pandemic. Methods: Data was from a national cohort of 2,278 Australian mothers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants were asked about work and household disruption during the pandemic and completed a measure of psychological distress (Kessler-6 Psychological Distress Scale) both prior to and during the pandemic. Results: Latent class analysis showed that indicators of work-family disruption during the pandemic clustered into two groups – ‘less disruption’ and ‘more disruption’. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identifying pre-pandemic predictors showed that mothers in the ‘more disruption’ group had poorer general health prior to the pandemic, lower relationship satisfaction, were more likely to work in low-intensity, insecure jobs, and to live in an urban area. They were also more likely to have more caring responsibilities, such as school-aged children and/or a household member with a disability. Linear regression analyses showed that mothers in the more disruption group had corresponding higher levels of psychological distress during the pandemic (controlling for pre-COVID distress levels) than mothers in the low disruption group. Conclusions: These results indicate that large-scale, social upheaval during COVID-19 was most disruptive for mothers with fewer resources (personal, relational and job-related) and greater caregiving responsibilities. Increased challenges negotiating work and family commitments were associated with poorer mental health. The findings reinforce the need for integration between social and public health policy, particularly in times of widespread crisis.<p></p>