“We’re treading water as best we can”: A qualitative study of parental resilience during COVID-19.

This Ontario-based study utilized modified grounded theory to consider the potential burden of chronic stressors on parents of young children during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as parental experiences of coping and resilience. Cross-sectional interviews at a single point in time do not reveal change and adaptation during an evolving pandemic; for this reason, this study conducted one interview at the end of the first wave of the pandemic in Ontario and a second interview a year and a half later. Twenty parents participated in two interviews, and findings are presented using Bonanno's (2004, 2005) mental health trajectory model following life disruption. The recovery trajectory details parental stressors and challenges that returned to baseline; the chronic stress trajectory notes parental experiences of unremitting stressors; and the resilience trajectory describes helpful behaviors, beliefs, and conditions that supported parental mental wellness across both interviews. Findings reveal that the resilience and recovery trajectories were dominant among this cohort, and descriptions of both problem-based and emotional-based coping through creativity and parental innovation are presented, as well as unforeseen positive impacts of the pandemic on families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).