Remote Instruction Adversely Impacts Parental Mental Health, Less Among Homeschoolers

28 Pages Posted: 10 Jan 2022 Last revised: 9 Dec 2024

See all articles by Christos Makridis

Christos Makridis

Stanford University; Institute for the Future (IFF), Department of Digital Innovation, School of Business, University of Nicosia; Arizona State University (ASU); Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Clara Piano

Samford University

Corey DeAngelis

American Federation for Children; Cato Institute; Reason Foundation

Date Written: January 5, 2022

Abstract

This study explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced shift to remote instruction on parental mental health, using data from the American Enterprise Institute's Return-to-Learn tracker and the U.S. Census Pulse Survey. We exploit within-state variation in the timing of school closures from August 2020 to June 2021, providing a comprehensive control for demographic and state-level factors, finding that an increase in the proportion of remote instruction districts correlates with an escalation in parental mental health issues, including heightened anxiety, worry, depression, and a loss of interest in activities. These adverse effects are significantly lessened among parents who choose homeschooling. A one percentage point increase in the share of remote instruction in the state is associated with a 2.2 percentage point rise in homeschooling probability. Our paper contributes to understanding the wider impact of pandemic-induced educational changes, highlighting substantial mental health implications for parents. Taking stock of lessons learned over the Covid-19 pandemic, these findings are pivotal for shaping informed educational policies that consider the well-being of the whole family during crises.

Note:
Funding: No funding received for the paper.

Declaration of Interests: We, the authors, declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Keywords: COVID-19, Homeschooling, Hybrid and Remote Instruction, Unions, School Closures

undefined

JEL Classification: J13, J21, J22, H75

Suggested Citation

Makridis, Christos and Piano, Clara and DeAngelis, Corey, Remote Instruction Adversely Impacts Parental Mental Health, Less Among Homeschoolers (January 5, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4001953 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4001953

Christos Makridis (Contact Author)

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Institute for the Future (IFF), Department of Digital Innovation, School of Business, University of Nicosia ( email )

Nicosia, 2417
Cyprus

Arizona State University (ASU) ( email )

Farmer Building 440G PO Box 872011
Tempe, AZ 85287
United States

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ( email )

810 Vermont Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20420
United States

Clara Piano

Samford University ( email )

800 Lakeshore Drive
Birmingham, AL 35229
United States

Corey DeAngelis

American Federation for Children ( email )

1020 19th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States

Cato Institute ( email )

1000 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001-5403
United States

Reason Foundation ( email )

1747 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009
United States

0 References

    0 Citations

      Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

      Paper statistics

      Downloads
      498
      Abstract Views
      4,167
      Rank
      118,889
      PlumX Metrics
      Plum Print visual indicator of research metrics
      • Citations
        • Citation Indexes: 3
      • Usage
        • Abstract Views: 4136
        • Downloads: 494
      • Captures
        • Readers: 4
      • Mentions
        • News Mentions: 4
      • Social Media
        • Shares, Likes & Comments: 7
      see details