Call for Manuscripts: Developmental Psychology Special Section on Parenting during COVID-19

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Posted on behalf of the journal, Developmental Psychology
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Developmental Psychology invites manuscripts for a special issue on Parenting and Family Dynamics in Times of COVID-19. Guest Editors are Loes Keijsers (Tilburg University, The Netherlands), Joyce Weeland (Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and Susan Branje (Utrecht University, The Netherlands).

In 2019/2020, the worldwide spreading of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to thousands of deaths worldwide. Many governments took extensive preventive measures, which impact the daily life of all citizens. Families face many uncertainties during this crisis and their daily lives have changed tremendously. Children and adolescents in lockdown, for example, cannot attend school, have limited (face-to-face) contact with peers, and have to stay at home with their parents. Their structured leisure activities, moreover, have often been cancelled. At the same time, family life is impacted because parents struggle to combine work and family life, and may be worried about changes in their financial situation and the well-being and health of themselves, their family and relatives.  Although the impact of the crisis varies by country and region, the current situation brings about challenges that many families have never faced before.  

As these circumstances are unique and new to families, we do not know the magnitude of the impact of the current crisis upon their dynamics, relationships and routines, and upon the well-being of the family system. Moreover, we lack policy- and practice-relevant insights into how current events and lockdown measures impact family life. 

The purpose of this special issue is to bundle scientific insights on the impact of the corona crisis on  family wellbeing, dynamics and parenting in families with underage children, as well as factors that explain differences across families in their adaptation to the current circumstances. We are open to different theoretical and methodological approaches, statistical analyses, and research populations to illustrate the impact of the corona crisis on family functioning. We invite studies that:

  1. Provide insights into the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on family life. For instance, how does it impact the relationships within the family, the mechanisms of parenting, and their linkage with well-being of parents and children.
  2. Increase our understanding of how families may differ in terms of these effects, and which factors might predict more positive or more negative outcomes.
  3. Provide insights into the impact of the crisis in specific groups, such as high-risk populations or groups with (country- or region-)specific preventive measures.
  4. Provide advice and support to policy makers and parents on how to best navigate their families and children through these circumstances and limit possible negative impact on longer term development

Deadline for submission is September 30, 2020. First round of decisions will be completed by November 30, 2020. Manuscripts should be submitted through the regular submission portal, selecting Special section article. Authors should indicate in the cover letter that the article is submitted to the special issue Parenting and Family Dynamics in Times of COVID-19.

The call for the special issue will follow shortly on the journal website

Inquiries regarding this special issue can be sent to dev.psych@umich.edu. Please refer to the special issue on Parenting and Family Dynamics in Times of COVID-19.