Symposium: “PRC Researchers Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic” (Part 2)

PRC researchers will discuss their projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penn State CORE: Student Well-Being Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Presenters: Stephanie Lanza, Ph.D., PRC Director and Professor of Biobehavioral Health and Courtney Whetzel, Ph.D, PRC Project Manager

PRC researchers conducted a study of undergraduate student behavior and well-being in late 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic started. More than 4,000 students from 9 Penn State campuses participated. When the pandemic gripped the world this spring, a follow-up assessment was conducted to study how this pandemic has affected students’ mental health, substance use, feelings of belonging, and more.

The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parental Stress, Family Well-being, and Parenting Behaviors Related to Neglect and Disciplinary Practices

Presenter: Christian Connell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies;

Associate Director, Child Maltreatment Solutions Network

Parents and families are coping with numerous stressors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health response, resulting in high levels of caregiver stress coupled with children spending increased periods of time at home. These challenges may elevate risk that children will experience incidents of harsh or neglectful parenting. Through a series of survey-based studies, Dr. Connell and his team have been examining the effects of family and caregiver stress to understand how the pandemic is impacting parenting behaviors in the general population, as well as among potentially vulnerable populations involved in state services and supports. This presentation will summarize results of study findings, to date.