Family Adversity and Resilience Research Program
Parenting Infants in the Pandemic Study (PIPS)
The Parenting Infants in the Pandemic Study (PIPS) invited women (18 years and older) and their partners who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Phase 1 of the study involved mothers completing an online survey to assess stress exposure in the context of the pandemic. As of May 2023, we reached our target number of enrolled participants for Phase 1 of the study, and we are now conducting follow-up visits with those participants.
Our hope is to uncover how the unique stressors faced by pregnant women and their partners during the COVID-19 pandemic influence various aspects of their well-being and that of their infants. By identifying different stress profiles and their associations with mental health, parenting behaviors, and biological markers, this study aims to help us understand how these effects occur and why they happen. Ultimately, our goal is to inform and improve public health interventions for perinatal care for families affected by the pandemic.
What Does the Study Involve?
What Does the Study Involve?
- Recruited approximately 2000 women and their partners who were in the final two trimesters of pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020).
- 45-minute online survey about their life experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Surveys in English and Spanish.
What Does the Study Involve?
- Select participants from Phase 1 have been enrolled in the PIPS Family Project. We are delighted to share that over 400 mothers enrolled in the PIPS Family Project and completed their first virtual visit with us in 2023! These visits involved a 1 ½ hour virtual visit with our staff that included interviews, parent-child interactions, and a saliva sample collection. Partners also completed surveys.
- We are scheduling follow-up visits with mothers who enrolled in the PIPS Family Project approximately a year after their first visit. These visits are very similar to the first visits.
For more information, email pips@uchc.edu or call 860-798-8790.
Dr. Grasso, Department of Psychiatry, IRB Number 21-143OSC-1.