University of Sydney

Academic Institute

B3894

This project aims to investigate the effect of parental stress on children’s development of non-cognitive skills and both emotional and behavioural disorders. In particular, we plan to investigate parental stress in the forms of: (a) maternal exposure to stressors during pregnancy; and (b) COVID-19 related health and financial stress during the height of the pandemic. This project will employ rich longitudinal datasets and use questionnaire data to examine parenting styles as well as epigenetic, genetic, and clinical biomarkers to examine the potential pathways of parental stress on children’s developmental outcomes.

The project will identify a novel pathway of stress transmission, highlighting the potential negative intergenerational consequences. The findings will shed light on policymakers to reduce parental stress in order to minimize social costs across generations. Results will be presented at international conferences, and aim to be published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.

08/10/2021