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Isolation and Homeschooling Due to Covid-19

The Emotional Effect on Caregivers

Table of Contents

I. Abstract 3

II. Introduction 4

III. Purpose of Study 6

A. Rationale for Qualitative Methods 6

B. Statement of the Problem 7

C. Research Questions 7

D. Definition of Key Terms…………………………………………………8

IV. Literature Review 9

A. Corona Virus and Emotional Health During Covid19 9

B. Loneliness Due to Isolation 10

C. Home Schooling 11

V. Synthesis 12

VI. Method 13

A. Research Overview 13

B. Participants 14

C. Study Location 14

D. Sampling Procedure 15

Data Collection 15

VII. Results 16

A. Data Recording 16

B. Reliability, Validity, and Bias Checks 17

D. Test of Research Questions 18

VIII. Discussion 18

A. Interpretation of Findings 18

B. Limitations of the Study 19

C. Future Research Directions 20

VIII. Summary and Conclusions 21

IX. References 22

X. Appendix A-C 25

Abstract

In response to the current public health crisis, Covid-19, schools were abruptly shut down, throughout the world, including the United States. This left many caregivers with the responsibility of their children’s education through homeschooling. This study will discuss the experience of caregivers who instantly became isolated and a teacher to their children. They went from sending their children to school daily to staying home and becoming responsible for teaching their children. This study will explore the emotional response from caregivers as they navigated the education system to obtain instructions for daily lessons. Parents were asked to complete a survey that consisted of eight questions regarding their response to the task of becoming isolated and a teacher overnight.

Keywords: Coronavirus, emotional health, loneliness, homeschooling, public health crisis

Isolation and Homeschooling Due to Covid-19

The Emotional Effect on Caregivers

At the start of 2020, the world was surprisingly struck with a global pandemic, identified as Covid-19. This novel health crisis in both the United States and all other countries demanded that a new way of interacting and confinement to home dwellings be instituted so that the spread of the virus of Covid-19 be limited. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) the response to Covid-19 had to be swift and consistent. The CDC recommended social distancing as the number one method to slow and decrease the spread of the virus. Social distancing refers to individuals standing at least 6 feet apart and using face masks while interacting with non-family members, so that the method of contracting the virus through facial secretions, such a sneezing and coughing, be limited. Following the CDC guidelines, many, including the state of Massachusetts responded with using social distancing to promote the safety of the communities. Once the directive was executed by the governor, the transition into social distancing began. This meant that a new way of living had to be quickly adapted to as people to people contact came to a sudden halt. Many were abruptly put out of work as office buildings could not guarantee the safety of the employees due to lack of spacing and sufficient air circulation. Social gatherings were suspended leaving many to cancel birthday celebrations, baby showers, graduations, and other gathering such as girl’s night or after work drinks. Emails, text messages and phone calls were made informing parents and caregivers that due to the current public health crisis, the doors to the schools were shut. This decision was made to keep the children safe by eliminating close contact. This decision also meant that parents and caregivers throughout Massachusetts were left to homeschool their children. Due to the majority of everyone experiencing the same situation, locating babysitters or hiring tutors was impossible.

Purpose of Study

This qualitative case study is necessary and important because it will examine the emotional response that the caregivers experienced as they became isolated with their children during the current public health crisis, Covid-19. Since this is relatively new, there is minimal research available regarding this matter. This research will provide pertinent information for other to expand their knowledge regarding the emotional health or parents and caregivers during a public health crisis.

Rational for Qualitative Methods

Qualitative research allows one to gain an understanding regarding an individual’s reality.

Qualitative research has become widely accepted as a valid approach within the social sciences because there is notable progress in the past decade in the amount and quality of qualitative research in psychology. It can generate knowledge that can be useful in managing the issues in society (Rogers & Willig, 2017). Learning how a public emergency such as COVID-19 affects one’s emotional health will be beneficial for society. Developing tools and responses to such emergencies in the future can assist with protecting emotional health. This research will utilize a quantitative research design to investigate how caregivers in the southern region of Massachusetts responded to being quarantined with the task of homeschooling their children. This is a social issue since it has affected everyone, therefore using a qualitative method will allow the researcher to understand how it affected each person individually.

Statement of Problem

In March of 2020, much of the world, including the United States and the state of Massachusetts were introduced to social distancing as they experienced a sudden lockdown. With the combined stresses already associated with this pandemic, school or childcare for most children were cancelled. This meant that prepared for exams, proms, and other social and family events were cancelled. New parents experienced loneliness as social distancing measures were implemented. The bereavements, financial worries, and the fear of catching Covid-19, this was all a perfect recipe for anxiety and depressive disorders to develop (Waters, 2020). Having to suddenly deal with a global pandemic affects the lives of many in every capacity possible. The current public health crisis has put unprecedented pressures on the mental health of billions of people throughout the world. The financial strains on families and the loss of loved ones has placed many on the doorstep of depression.

Research Questions

This research will focus on answering the following question: How did sudden isolation affect the emotional health of parents and caregivers of school-aged children? In addition, the following sub questions will be explored:

1. What was caregiver’s emotional response?

2. How did caregivers respond to the task of homeschooling?

3. Families throughout Massachusetts and the world were forced to change thrusting parents and caregivers into the rolls of teachers. How did this affect stress levels?

Definition of Key Terms

Coronavirus

Any of a family of single stranded RNA viruses that infect mammals and birds, causing respiratory infections such as the common cold and SARS in humans, and that have spikes of glycoproteins projecting from the viral envelope (Merriam-Webster, 2020).

Emotional/mental health

A state of emotional and psychological wellbeing in which an individual can use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life (Merriam-Webster, 2020).

Homeschooling

To instruct (a pupil, for example) in an educational program outside of

established schools, especially in a home (Merriam-Webster, 2020).

Loneliness

Sadness because one has no friends or company. Not frequented by human beings.

Public health crisis

A health crisis or public health crisis is a difficult situation or complex health system that affects humans in one or more geographic areas (mainly occurred in natural hazards), from a particular locality to encompass the entire planet (Merriam-Webster, 2020).

Literature Review

This literature review consists of a combination of information obtained on the following subjects: Coronavirus, emotional health, loneliness, homeschooling, and public health crisis. The approach to teach virtually has changed the game of education. Perhaps this format will be something that may become permanent in the future.

Coronavirus and Emotional Health During the Public Health Crisis

On January 20, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global Public Health Emergency after the first clusters of people infected by COVID-19 were diagnosed in China (Spinelli, et al., 2020). Coronavirus is not a new virus; however, this strain is new and more deadly than the others. The influenza virus infection has been a major global concern since the 1918 pandemic we know as the ‘Spanish flu’. There was also the pandemic in1968 called the ‘Hong Kong flu’. In 2009 the world faced another pandemic identified as H1N1 influenza. In February 2009 Mexico reported the first case of H1NI before it would rapidly spread throughout the world (Rogers, 2020). Dealing with a global pandemic affects the lives of many in every capacity possible. Covid-19 has put unprecedented pressures on the mental health of billions of people throughout the world as it has caused financial strains on families and the loss of loved ones. To fight the virus, Center for Disease Control (CDC) directed the world to practice social distance to slow and prevent the spread of the virus. Social distance means that people must maintain at least six feet from each other who were not a member of their immediate family. In addition, mask must be worn to decrease the spread. Wearing mask eliminated people from giving or receiving smiles from others. The ability to use body language through facial expressions was eliminated due to the mask wearing. By late March, early April 2020, much of the world, including the United States and the state of Massachusetts was experiencing a sudden lockdown. The combined stresses of the lockdown, no school or childcare for most children, the cancellation of students' exams, proms, and social events, family isolation, loneliness of new mothers, social distancing measures, bereavements, financial worries and the fear of catching Covid-19 was a perfect recipe for anxiety and depressive disorders to develop (Waters, 2020).

While the state of Massachusetts appears to be moving in the right direction to contain this virus, there are still major concerns regarding a second outbreak. According to Waters, if there is a second wave of Covid-19 and the economy is damaged further, this forecast from the charity Centre for Mental Health (CMH) predicts the effects on mental health will be greater--and last longer. Even with lockdown easing, there are worrying signs of an impending mental health crisis (Waters, 2020).

Loneliness Due to Isolation

The loneliness that one experiences from social distance can have a long-lasting negative impact on their life. There may be an increase in the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Suicide ideation and self-injurious behaviors may develop. The true mental health impact of Covid-19 won't be known for some time, but it seems fair to say that while not everyone is going to emerge from lockdown with mental health issues - indeed the majority of people will be fine - there are many people who are particularly vulnerable, and for some people, external factors such as unemployment will make things much worse. Identifiable and accessible supports to such vulnerable populations deserve to be highlighted throughout the resolution of this pandemic (Waters, 2020).

The effects of extended isolation and home confinement that are inherent to the Covid-19 crisis are causing profound changes to family routines and rituals that are often taken for granted (Prime, Wade & Browne, 2020). Social interaction with peers is crucial to the overall development of children. Continued interaction with friends and families provides support to the lives of both caregivers and children. The sudden isolation and social distancing requirements that have been forced upon communities can be detrimental to the functioning of caregivers who rely upon such supports. For those who had to continue working, dealing with quarantine is a particularly stressful experience for parents who must balance personal life, work, and raising children, being left alone without other resources. (Spinelli, et al., 2020).

Homeschooling

In response to the public health crisis, social distancing was implemented in Massachusetts and throughout the world. The life condition of families suddenly changed. A major change was caregivers suddenly becoming responsible to home school their children using resources from the school virtually. Some were provided with Chrome Books to connect virtually with the teachers, while other were provided thick stacks of papers containing schoolwork. In the home environment, the educational role of parents for children has become even much crucial than before. Children have only their parents around them, to provide support with homework when necessary and promote a positive development and new learning experiences especially for toddlers and preschoolers (Wang, et al., 2020). In addition to overseeing their child’s day-to-day activity in the home, school rules had to be implemented in their daily routine. Social distancing abruptly closed all the schools and other ways of childcare, such as family members, due to the fear of contracting Covid-19. The way in which an individual views this forced isolation at home with one’s family will have an impact on any resulting effects of such a novel situation. While some may view it in a positive light, that is, it provides an opportunity to bond with one’s family, others may view it in a negative light, in that it highlights the existing underlying tensions already present within the family’s functioning. This situation has significantly increased the risk of experiencing stress and negative emotions in caregivers, with a potentially cascading effect on children's wellbeing (Spinelli, et al., 2020). Homeschooling has been a major task for caregivers throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. According to authors Prime, Wade & Browne (2020), some families will be more vulnerable to the sequelae of the pandemic than others, based on preexisting vulnerabilities, such as families with low income, mental health and/or special needs, and/or experiences of racism or marginalization. Other families may experience resilience or posttraumatic growth—the ability not just to survive but to thrive in the face of adversity (Prime, Wade & Browne, 2020)

Synthesis

To summarize, the abrupt onset of the current public health crisis, Covid-19 has caused a derailment of life. What is known as normal is now foreign. Birthdays, marriages, and other special occasions are celebrated much differently than before. People have been forced to give birth alone with no companion in the hospital with them. Some have been forced to die alone because their family members were not allowed to enter the hospital. One of the main entities affected was the way that children receive their education. It will be difficult for many to step into the roll of a teacher. More specifically, the parents or caregivers who are not educated will find this task to be more difficult. It is expected that the emotional response to this pandemic will be one that consist of high levels or stress, fear, and even depression. Once there is more research on this matter, the knowledge acquired will be used to create and establish protocols for such emergencies. Having more structure and protocols in place may alleviate the amount of stress and not take a heavy toll on the emotional health of many.

Method

Overview of Research Design

The research design is a quantitative descriptive method of data obtained through surveys obtained by participants. Participants will be provided with an email survey using SurveyMonkey. This survey method was chosen because it was deemed to be the quickest way to send the surveys out and obtain the information required for the study. SurveyMonkey is user friendly which made it easy to create the survey and participants may feel comfortable with completing the survey. The survey will not provide the participants the opportunity to answer in their own words. The survey will consist of closed-end questions using a multiple choice for answers. Participants will be able to read the informed consent (Appendix C) before taking the survey. Here, it will be outlined that their completion of the survey is completely voluntary, that they can discontinue their input at any time they feel is appropriate and that their identities will be kept confidential.

Surveys will be given to a random sampling of participants and they will be asked to rate their reaction to the pandemic on six different social dimensions arranged in a forced choice, closed ended question formatted in a Likert scale. It is estimated that a total of 50 surveys will be completed, and that 15 of such completed surveys will be randomly selected for data analysis. Though surveys involve self-reported data and can be highly subjective, this researcher’s survey consists of six questions which are designed to depict typical responses to the pandemic changes in a caregiver’s lifestyle. This researcher will obtain names and a verbal commitment to complete a survey on the pandemic from prospective participants by frequenting a parking lot of a super Walmart. A flyer outlining the researcher’s study will be given to each prospective participant (Appendix A). Walmart is one of the essential stores that has remained open during the pandemic for individuals to be able to access their groceries and staples for food consumption. Super Walmart not only sell food, clothing, and household items, they also sell alcohol. After receiving the names and intentions of prospective participants, this researcher will send them an email with an internet link via Survey Monkey to complete their individual survey. After all surveys have been completed, this researcher will review all the data, and analyze and organize it into codes and themes that cut across all the data sources (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).

Participants

Flyers will be passed out in the community and will provide a brief introduction and description of the study. Participants will be asked to text their email address to a telephone number provided so that the survey could be emailed to them. The survey will be produced using SurveyMonkey and will provide participants with the choice to participate or opt out of participation. An informed consent form will be provided along with the survey for participants to complete. No incentives or stipends will be offered to participate in this study.

Description of the Study Location

The participants will be chosen at random at a parking lot of super Walmart located in southern Massachusetts in a town named Raynham. Raynham is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately 32 miles (51 km) south of Boston and 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. Bristol County consist of 4 cities and approximately 15 towns. As of the 2010 census, the population was 548,285. This location was chosen because it would provide a variety of caregivers from different communities in Massachusetts as it is frequented by residents of many neighboring cities. For the 2020 school year, there are 142 public schools in Bristol County, MA, serving 81,291 students (Public Schools Review, 2020). This is a potentially participant laden area as people from many surrounding towns in Bristol County utilize the super Walmart.

Sampling Procedure Participants must be age 18 or older and have children who are school-aged. From the study’s convenience sample of shoppers utilizing the super Walmart services, participants must be age 18 or older. They must also have children currently enrolled in schools that have been forced to become temporary online schools where the children are taught by caregivers due to the pandemic. The research survey will be sent to the first fifty participants who respond, and participant identities will remain anonymous. At no time will the age, gender or school information be provided when choosing the participants. Participants will be provided with the link via email and have forty-eight hours to complete the survey, due to time limits for this study. An estimated fifteen (15) participants will be randomly chosen after receiving the surveys to be included in the data analysis of the study.

Data Collection

Participants will be asked a series of six questions related to homeschooling and isolation due to Covid-19 through a survey using Survey Monkey. The data will be analyzed to learn how caregivers are affected. The non-parametric rank-sum statistical test will be used to determine if two different variables identified by the six survey questions are in fact statistically significant.

Results

In anticipation of the completed surveys, it is estimated that caregivers will have emotional reactions about the pandemic, their new role as their children’s schoolteacher and social isolation that lean towards the more extreme sides of their Likert scaled questions. Since the pandemic was a sudden and forced novel situation, it is predicted that participants will feel strongly positive or strongly negative towards the changing social conditions and social roles that the pandemic presented to them.

Data Recording

Reliability, Validity, and Bias Checks

Test of Research Questions

Discussion

Interpretation of Findings

Limitations of the Study

It is expected that the limitations of this study will include the small size of the sample. Participants will only be those who are healthy enough to drive to Walmart. The chances of surveying a caregiver who is home confined for various reasons is slim to none. Self-report bias is another limitation. People tend to not accurately report when it comes to themselves.

Future Research

Further research should be completed on with a larger number of participants to get a clearer idea on how caregivers are being affected by the current public health crisis.

Summary and Conclusions

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2020, September). Coronavirus (COVID-19). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

Creswell, J. & Creswell, J. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications, Inc.

Effler, P., Carcione, D., Giele, C., Dowse, G., Goggin, L., & Mak, D. (2010). Household Responses to Pandemic (H1N1) 2009–related School Closures, Perth, Western Australia. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 16(2), 205-211. https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1602.091372.

Guterman, O., & Neuman, A. (2017). Personality, socio-economic status, and education: Factors that contribute to the degree of structure in homeschooling. Social Psychology of Education, 21(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-017-9406-x

Merriam-Webster. (2020). Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America's most-trusted online dictionary. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

Murphy, J. (2014). The social and educational outcomes of homeschooling. Sociological Spectrum, 34(3), 244–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/02732173.2014.895640

Prime, H., Wade, M., & Browne, D. T. (2020). Risk and resilience in family well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Psychologist, 75(5), 631–643. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000660

Public School Review (2020, September). Top Bristol County Public Schools. https://www.publicschoolreview.com/massachusetts/bristol-county

Rogers, K. (2020). 1968 flu pandemic. Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/event/1968-flu-pandemic.

Rogers, W. & Willig, C. (2017). Introduction. In Willig, C., & Rogers, W. The SAGE Handbook of qualitative research in psychology (pp. 1-14). London: SAGE Publications Ltd doi: 10.4135/9781526405555

Sarajlic, E. (2019). Homeschooling and authenticity. Theory and Research in Education, 17(3), 280–296.https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878519885360

Shanahan, L., Steinhoff, A., Bechtiger, L., Murray, A., Nivette, A., Hepp, U., Eisner, M. (2020). Emotional distress in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence of risk and resilience from a longitudinal cohort study. Psychological Medicine, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1017/s003329172000241x

Spinelli, M., Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., & Fasolo, M. (2020). Parents' Stress and Children's Psychological Problems in Families Facing the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy. Frontiers in Psychology, 11.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01713

Waters, J. (2020). Is Mental Health the New Pandemic?: The Journal of the Health Visitors' Association . Pro Quest. https://nuls.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch-proquest-com.nuls.idm.oclc.org%2Fdocview%2F2423571995%3Faccountid.

Appendix A

Covid-19 + Isolation + Homeschooling=??

Participation in Research Opportunity

12/3/2020

Dear Community Member:

My name is Patty, I am a graduate psychology student who is currently conducting research. I am particularly interested in how caregivers are doing emotionally with regards to the sudden isolation and homeschooling requirements due to Covid-19.

Your participation is needed but not mandatory.

If you are interested in completing a brief survey that will only consist of six questions, please text your email address to 857-203-2109 by 12/5/2020. This is voluntary, no stipends or rewards are offered for your participation.

By texting 857-203-2109 with required information, you agree that you acknowledge that this survey is voluntary with no monetary incentives or stipends. In addition, you agree that you will read and sign an Informed Consent Form.

Thank you,

Patty

Graduate Student

Appendix B

Top of Form

Thank you for your participation in this voluntary survey. The purpose of this

survey is to learn more about your experience with homeschooling and isolation

with your children during the current global pandemic, Covid-19.  

w

ExcellentVery GoodGoodFairPoor

Extremely wellQuite wellFairly wellMildly well Not well at all

ExcellentExtremely well Very GoodGoodFairPoor

A great dealA lotA moderate amountA littleNone at all

Almost neverOnce or twice per yearEvery few monthsMonthlyWeekly or more

Extremely usefulVery usefulSomewhat usefulNot so usefulNot at all useful

Bottom of Form

Appendix C

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Tile of Project: Caregivers Who Are Isolated and Homeschooling Due to Covid-19

Principal Investigator:

Dear Community Member:

My name is Patty, and I am a student in the psychology department. As stated on the recruitment flyer, I am conducting a study to identify the emotional response that caregivers are having to becoming teachers to their children due to Covid-19. I am asking caregivers to school-aged children to complete a brief survey. The results will be reported in a thesis that I will complete as a requirement of my graduate program.
It will take about 10 minutes of your time to complete the survey.
To qualify for this study, you must be over the age of 18 and be the caregiver of a school-age children currently enrolled in school. Your participation in this study is voluntary. If you decide to participate, your responses will be anonymous - that is, recorded without any identifying information that is linked to you. If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact me at 857-203-2109. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a human subject and participant in this study, or to report research-related problems, you may call the Institutional Review Board.