Gender differences in severity and parental estimation of adolescent’s pandemic-related stress in the United States

Research has consistently shown that female adolescents have experienced worse pandemic-related stress compared to males. A parent's ability to accurately track their child's stress levels likely increases the likelihood a problem is acknowledged and addressed as it arises. Therefore, we assessed how parents' estimation of their adolescent children's self-reported pandemic-related stress related to the child's gender. We performed cross-sectional secondary analysis using the nationally representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study datasets from Wave 5 (2018-2019) and Wave 5.5 (July 2020-December 2020) among respondents aged 12-17. We conducted four logistic regression models to explore the relationship between child gender and parental underestimation of their child's pandemic-related stress. We controlled for sociodemographic factors and personal characteristics associated with pandemic-related stress including, whether the adolescent had been diagnosed with COVID-19, the extent social distancing measures were practiced, school performance, previous year anxiety, depression, and overall mental health ratings, sleep trouble, TV screen time, and past year substance use. Even when controlling for these factors, female child gender was significantly and positively associated with parental underestimation of their child's pandemic-related stress (Underestimated stress: OR = 1.25 95% CI = [1.07-1.46]). Informing parents that female adolescents were significantly more likely to have their levels of pandemic-related stress underestimated at home may encourage parents to take extra effort when checking in on their daughters' mental health needs, which in turn may lead to more female adolescents receiving the familial and professional support they require.