Having Kids at Home May Ease Adults’ COVID-19 Depression

Having Kids at Home May Ease Adults’ COVID-19 Depression
Researchers have found that having children at home is linked to improved mental health for their parents amid COVID-19 pandemic measures. Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock
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Attending school on Zoom and quarantining from family and friends has children struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic, but, surprisingly, having kids at home may help adults feel less distressed, researchers report.

Adults in households with children have fewer mental health problems than adults living without kids, a new study shows. Child care—beyond the effect of larger household size—may actually reduce depression during pandemic social isolation.