Dr. Anis Ben Brik, an associate professor at the College of Public Policy (CPP) and founding director of the program for social policy evaluation and research (PROSPER), recently presented a paper at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society. Titled Well-being of Parents and Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the MENA Region, his paper examined levels of self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress in parents, and anxiety in their children, in 20 countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In his presentation at the interdisciplinary gathering of scholars, teachers, and researchers, Dr. Ben Brik highlighted the research findings of the international COVID-19 Family Life Study, which gathered responses from 28,732 parents of children under 18. Conducted in 72 countries, the study examined the pandemic’s impact on family life across cultures and found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant psychosocial impact on parents and children. The conclusions highlight the need to address their emotional distress during the pandemic and to provide policy-makers and practitioners with evidence to design targeted interventions and programs. The 50th Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society was held virtually from June 1-5. 

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