7. Project Summary/Abstract
This application investigates the long-term impact of COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures on child and
parent outcomes in a large and diverse sample of children and families recruited from Oregon and California.
The proposed study will draw from four existing federally funded prospective longitudinal studies investigating
the development of child emotional and behavior problems and related parenting experiences among
preschool and school aged children with and without developmental disabilities (DD; R01HD059838,
R01HD093667, R21MH114075, R324A180037). The targeted sample will include 613 children, ages 4–15
years, their caregivers, and their teachers who have been previously recruited and enrolled in separate
studies. Two of the four studies are randomized controlled trials in which parents received behavioral parent
training intervention to improve parent adjustment and child emotional and behavioral problems in youth with (n
= 257) and without DD (n = 356). This application proposes to continue to follow these study cohorts over a
period of three years and collect six additional assessments (Fall/Spring) of child and parent outcomes to
assess long-term impact of pandemic-related school closures on children and families. We will employ
harmonized data across the four related developmental prospective and experimental studies to estimate and
describe growth in child emotional and behavioral problems and parenting adjustment across three specific
COVID-19 school closure phases using piecewise growth model periods: (a) Pre-school closure, (b) During
school closure, and (c) Post-school closure. We will employ cohort-sequential missing data models with
propensity score matching of independent studies, study cohorts, and intervention conditions to compare
estimated prospective school closure phases. We will test the impact of perceived COVID-related stress on the
growth of child emotional and behavior problems and parenting adjustment across the three specific COVID19
school closure phases and test whether behavioral parent training intervention serves as a buffer to COVID-
related stress impacts on child emotional and behavior problems and parenting adjustment. The COVID-19
pandemic has undoubtedly impacted children, families, and educators in important ways, notably through loss
of educational services, economic and financial loss, illness or risk of illness, and stress and mental health
impacts. The extent to which these impacts affect long-term outcomes is unknown. Focusing on the long-term
impacts of pandemic-related school closures is a significant public health issue with implications for both policy
and intervention practices. Our sample is racially, ethnically, economically, and geographically diverse
providing additional generalizability of our findings. This proposal draws on our existing strengths in conducting
longitudinal intervention and prevention trials with children and youth with or at-risk for disability, our
longstanding collaborations, and the complementary expertise of the investigator team.
