Determinants of maternal stress during COVID-19 outbreak in Italy and Spain: A cross-cultural investigation

The present study aims to investigate cross-cultural differences and similarities in maternal and children’sadjustment to COVID-19 restrictions in Spain and Italy, with reference to determinants of maternal stress. Atotal of 950 mothers (45.4% from Spain,n=432,Mage=39.6, years old,SD=5.2 and 54.5% from Italy,n=518,Mage=40.5, years,SD=6.4) of children aged 3–17 years old completed questionnaires onsociodemographic and COVID-19 contextual factors, parenting-related variables, and children externaliz-ing behaviors using an online survey. We examined determinants of parental stress in both countries.Mothers reported a significant increase in parental stress and child externalizing behaviors during COVID-19home confinement, with more remarkable perceived changes in the Spanish group. Hierarchical linearregressions showed that child age and externalizing behaviors, maternal psychological distress, quality ofcoparenting and pre-COVID-19 levels of parental stress significantly predicted parental stress in both Italianand Spanish mothers during the pandemic. Results confirmed the negative psychological impact of COVID-19home confinement on parents and children across countries and revealed common underlying factorsresponsible for parental stress in Italy and Spain. Thesefindings highlighted the need for communitarianpreventive programs to reduce mental health difficulties and parental stress in mothers and behavioraldifficulties in children during pandemic restrictions. Particular attention should be paid to young mothersand children, and the key role of positive partner support and coparenting relationships should beconsidered