Pitt survey gauges Western Pa. family needs during covid-19

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Pediatrics is spearheading a survey to recognize and respond to family needs during the covid-19 pandemic.

The Family Strengths Survey is an anonymous survey designed to improve covid-19 response efforts.

A new version of the survey launches every Friday. People are encouraged to take it weekly to show how their needs are changing as the pandemic progresses.

Anna Ettinger, a senior research scientist at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said the survey asks questions about “all the different aspects of childhood thriving that families have told us in our prior studies are important.”

Questions include whether parents feel they can help children learn, what resources they need, and how they feel about their mental health.

“This helps us understand if there are gaps in the pandemic relief efforts and if services are accessible in overburdened and under resourced areas,” Ettinger explained. “We ask these questions every week so we can see when things are changing for families and share that with partner organizations.”

Some survey results — like resource needs — have changed throughout the pandemic, Ettinger said.

But other concerns have remained fairly steady.

Ettinger said the biggest issue throughout the pandemic has been parents who said they can’t support their children’s emotional and mental health — or their own.

In most weeks, fewer than one-third of families said they could support their children’s social, mental and emotional well-being as much as they would like, according to Ettinger. Less than one in five parents and caregivers said they could care for their own social, mental and emotional wellbeing, she said.

The information gleaned from the survey is shared weekly so that local organizations can adapt to meet reported needs.

Some problems they’ve already tried to tackle with their partners include “unmet need for home food delivery for single parents, unmet mental health needs, uncertainty about child care and uncertainty about covid-19 testing options,” Ettinger said.

“Future actions include developing a Youth Strengths Survey focused on the experiences of young people in our area during covid-19,” she said. “We are also planning to work with the Neighborhood Resilience Projects’ Community Health Deputies to help get the word out about the survey and available resources to support communities.”

In the last 11 weeks, the survey garnered 6,155 completed responses.

Results from prior weeks are available online, along with access to relevant resources. The site provides resources for an array of needs, ranging from food assistance to mental health care for parents and children.

The survey is part of a collaborative effort with groups including the Pittsburgh Study, University of Pittsburgh Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Division of Community Health, United Way 211, the UrbanKind Institute, Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, Allegheny County Health Department, and Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

For more information or to participate in the survey, visit pediatrics.pitt.edu/family-strengths-survey.