The COVID-19 pandemic forced global school closures, requiring families to adapt to remote learning and prolonged home confinement. Although parental mental health has been widely studied in high-income countries, evidence from Bangladesh is limited, with prior studies mainly focusing on adolescents and university students. This study assessed the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among mothers and fathers of school-aged children in selected government residential colonies in Dhaka city during the pandemic.
Between March and October 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 405 parents in Dhaka city using in-person interviews with a structured questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were measured with the CES-D-10 scale, anxiety symptoms with the GAD-7 scale, and overall mental health with the MHI-5 scale. Chi-square tests and descriptive analyses were used to examine associations with mental health outcomes.
Of 405 parents, 95.8% reported depressive symptoms and 95.9% reported anxiety symptoms, with mothers exhibiting significantly higher severity than fathers (p < 0.05). Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with higher maternal education (OR = 3.75), whereas anxiety symptoms were linked to younger maternal age (p < 0.01) and maternal employment (p < 0.05). Mental health scores declined progressively with increasing anxiety symptoms severity and presence of depressive symptoms (both p < 0.001), indicating a considerable psychological burden following the COVID-19 pandemic period.
These findings indicate very high levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms among parents of school-aged children in selected government residential colonies in Dhaka city, suggesting a considerable psychological burden following the pandemic period. They underscore the urgent need for targeted, gender-sensitive, and family-centered interventions, including psychosocial support and educational guidance, to mitigate potential long-term consequences for both parents and children.