Struggles and Strengths: Honoring Pandemic Motherhood

with Dr. Heather Prime and Dr. Nicole Racine

Last month, we heard from researchers about the uneven effects of the pandemic on families. In this episode, we hear directly from mothers about some of their unique challenges. We also talk with scientists who identified related trends in their research and share some ideas about what families can do.

Dr. Amanda Zelechoski talks with Dr. Heather Prime and Dr. Nicole Racine about their research findings, including the mental health impact of the pandemic on mothers specifically, some barriers single parents and co-parents face, and what all of this means for the family unit as a whole.

Included in this episode about pandemic motherhood:

  • how the pandemic affected mother’s mental health

  • how the parents navigated the pandemic lockdowns as couples, co-parents, and single parents

  • stories from listeners about their challenges and silver linings during the pandemic

Additional Resources

 

Bite-Sized Excerpts from This Episode

 

Pandemic Recovery Needs to be a SHEcovery

Why Working Mothers Often Have More to Lose

What are some silver linings of the pandemic?

A Working Mother’s Shifting Priorities

 
 

Meet Our Guests

Heather Prime, Ph.D., C. Psych.

Dr. Heather Prime joined the Department of Psychology at York University as an assistant professor in 2020. She is a child psychologist and researcher with a specialization in mental health from a family systems perspective. She is passionate about the interconnections between the well-being of family members and relationships. She studies how families can themselves serve as an island of strength and resilience for children during challenging times. She uses this approach in designing evidence-based interventions for children and families that aim to strengthen family relationships, and in her work with families in the community in her role as a clinical psychologist.

Nicole Racine, Ph.D., R. Psych

Dr. Nicole Racine is a clinical psychologist and Independent Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada. She received her PhD in Clinical-Developmental Psychology at York University, including a residency in Clinical and Pediatric Child Psychology at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. In collaboration with community and interdisciplinary partners, her research program examines the impact of childhood adversity on child mental health and wellbeing, how this adversity is transmitted across generations, and what prevention and intervention strategies can promote resilience despite these experiences. Dr. Racine is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the Governor General’s Gold Medal Award for her doctoral studies (2017) as well as the Canadian Psychological Association President’s New Researcher Award (2021). She is also the recipient of two knowledge engagement awards for her collaborative community-based projects.

Previous
Previous

Generation COVID Pt.1: Pregnancy, Fertility Treatments, and Infant Development

Next
Next

How Families Experienced Uneven Effects of the Pandemic