Parenting difficulties and support needs among parents having new children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A quantitative text analysis

Abstract

Parents having new children during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were exposed to heightened parenting difficulties. However, pandemic-specific parenting difficulties and unmet support needs among these parents, especially fathers and parents with multiple children, remain underexplored. We conducted a study to clarify parenting difficulties and support needs of such parents by using quantitative text analysis of free-form descriptions collected from 809 Japanese parents in 2022 (first-child group: 163 fathers and 222 mothers; second-child group: 192 fathers and 232 mothers). Quantitative text analysis using KH Coder included co-occurrence network and correspondence analyses to identify parenting difficulties and support needs, stratified by sex, household income, and the presence of parenting consultants. Regarding parenting difficulties, fathers more often emphasized children's behavioral challenges, whereas mothers reported emotional struggles. Pandemic-related restrictions directly amplified parenting difficulties, including limited childcare resources, reduced social interaction, and infection-related concerns. Support needs across groups centered on financial assistance and childcare but varied by income, sex, and consultant availability. Fathers without consultants emphasized information and advice, while mothers without consultants stressed temporary childcare needs or illness-related support. Parenting difficulties and support needs reflected cultural gender norms. Policy implications include sustaining financial aid, developing gender-tailored interventions, and establishing crisis-resilient support systems.