Dramatic change from pandemic brought on stress for mothers

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about sudden change and probably some amount of stress for most people in 2020. But, according to a new study led by a researcher from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, mothers who experienced sweeping changes to their daily lives were particularly susceptible to experiencing symptoms of traumatic stress specific to the pandemic.

The research, which was published in JAMA Network Open, is the largest study to date of how mothers experienced the pandemic. The paper’s lead author, Theresa “Tracy” Bastain, Ph.D., MPH, associate professor of clinical population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, said the team of researchers wanted to study mothers because they suffered a large share of the income and job losses and shouldered much of the responsibility of childcare and homeschooling children.

“We can’t conclude from this research that these mothers will have…