Table_1_Preparing for Future Adversities: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia for Promoting Relational Resilience in Families.DOCX

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed considerable pressure on families, testing the quality of relationships and the strength of social support within and beyond the family network. However, little is known about the pre-pandemic factors that predict family relational resilience and social functioning during times of natural disaster or global crisis. Here we use data from one of Australia's longest running studies of social and emotional development to examine the nature and timing of possible relational and social support intervention aimed at preparing families for future adversities.
Methods: Data were from the Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 (ATPG3) Study, a population representative three generation cohort study of families established in 1983. A subset of Generation 2 parents completed a COVID-19 specific survey in May-September 2020 (502 parents of 871 children; 60% mothers; 37–38 years). These participants had completed the Quality of Relationships Inventory to assess social support during young adulthood, at 23–24 years (2006) and 27–28 years (2010), before next generation conception. Participants had also completed the Maternity Social Support Scale 1 year postpartum for each child born across the ATPG3 assessment period (2012–2019). In 2020, during the height of the Australian lockdowns, participants rated the quality of their relationships with their partners, children and broader family and friends, in addition to social support within and extended beyond their family.
Results: Pre-pandemic partner support was associated with partner relationship quality during the pandemic (β = 0.22). Pre-pandemic support from friends was associated with relationship quality with other family and friends during the pandemic (β = 0.12 – 0.18). Pre-pandemic support (from partner, family and friends) was consistently associated with social support within families during the pandemic (β = 0.11 – 0.21). Pre-pandemic support from friends was also associated with family support extended to others within their local community during the pandemic (β = 0.12 – 0.13).
Conclusions: Strengthening supportive relationships during major life transitions, prior to the start of family life and in early parenthood, may have long-term and intergenerational benefits years into the future for both families and communities. This may promote resilience during future crises and other more normative stressful life events.

研究背景：新冠疫情给全球家庭带来了沉重压力，不仅考验了家庭成员间的关系质量，也对家庭网络内外的社会支持强度提出了严峻挑战。然而，目前学界对自然灾害或全球危机时期家庭关系韧性与社会功能的疫前预测因素仍知之甚少。本研究依托澳大利亚一项持续时间最久的社会与情感发展追踪研究数据，旨在探究可助力家庭应对未来逆境的关系干预与社会支持措施的特征与实施时机。

研究方法：数据源自澳大利亚气质项目第三代队列研究（Australian Temperament Project Generation 3, ATPG3），这是一项始于1983年的具有人群代表性的三代家庭队列研究。其中，第二代父母群体于2020年5月至9月完成了一项针对新冠疫情的专项调查，共纳入871名儿童的502名父母，其中60%为母亲，年龄介于37~38岁。在生育下一代之前，这些参与者曾分别于2006年（23~24岁）和2010年（27~28岁）完成《关系质量量表》（Quality of Relationships Inventory），以评估其青年时期的社会支持水平。此外，针对ATPG3评估周期（2012~2019年）内诞下的每一名子女，参与者均在产后1年完成了《产妇社会支持量表》（Maternity Social Support Scale）。2020年澳大利亚封禁措施最为严格的时期，参与者除对自身与伴侣、子女及更广范围亲友的关系质量进行评分外，还评估了家庭内部及延伸至家庭外的社会支持状况。

研究结果：疫前伴侣支持水平与疫情期间的伴侣关系质量呈显著正相关（β=0.22）。疫前朋友支持水平与疫情期间个体与其他亲友的关系质量呈显著正相关（β=0.12~0.18）。疫前来自伴侣、家人及朋友的各类社会支持，均与疫情期间的家庭内部社会支持水平呈显著正相关（β=0.11~0.21）。此外，疫前朋友支持水平还与疫情期间个体向当地社区其他成员提供的家庭支持呈显著正相关（β=0.12~0.13）。

研究结论：在家庭生活开启前及为人父母初期的重大人生转型阶段，强化支持性关系或许能为家庭与社区带来长期的代际益处。这一举措可帮助个体在未来的危机事件乃至更常见的规范性压力生活事件中提升韧性。