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COVID-19 Impacts on Children and Resources for Resilience: What Is the Direction of Causation?

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Title: COVID-19 Impacts on Children and Resources for Resilience: What Is the Direction of Causation?
Language: English
Authors: Hongcui Du (ORCID 0000-0003-3778-5772), Callie W. Little, Sara A. Hart (ORCID 0000-0001-9793-0420)
Source: Developmental Science. 2026 29(3).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
Contract Number: P50HD052120
R01HD709292
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: COVID-19, Resilience (Psychology), Pandemics, Twins, Children
DOI: 10.1111/desc.70172
ISSN: 1363-755X
1467-7687
Abstract: COVID-19 has profoundly affected children's well-being. Resilience was often found to be negatively correlated with COVID-19 impacts. However, the role of resilience in directly shaping COVID-19 impacts on children remains unclear, as studies report conflicting evidence regarding the potential causal direction between COVID-19 impacts and resilience. Higher resilience could reduce COVID-19 impacts, while COVID-19 impacts may also disrupt or enhance resilience. Or it could be the case that the two are simply correlated due to shared underlying common factors. This preregistered study uses a twin-based Direction of Causation modeling approach with data from 1166 twins (age: M = 12.59; 50.78% male; 85.08% White) to explore the causal direction between COVID-19 impacts and resilience. Resilience was assessed using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM)--Child Version, a child self-report questionnaire assessing resources available for children's resilience. Findings revealed a causal effect such that resilience resources explained 32% variance in overall COVID-19 impacts, consistently buffering negative outcomes across multiple domains (e.g., social connections, general stress, and COVID-related stress). A reciprocal causal effect was found for economic impacts, with resilience mitigating economic impacts and economic challenges enhancing resilience.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://ldbase.org/datasets/d1bd167f-b5e6-4a56-ae2d-5f67609977a3
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1504303
Database: ERIC
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  Data: COVID-19 Impacts on Children and Resources for Resilience: What Is the Direction of Causation?
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hongcui+Du%22">Hongcui Du</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3778-5772">0000-0003-3778-5772</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Callie+W%2E+Little%22">Callie W. Little</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sara+A%2E+Hart%22">Sara A. Hart</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9793-0420">0000-0001-9793-0420</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Science%22"><i>Developmental Science</i></searchLink>. 2026 29(3).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 13
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resilience+%28Psychology%29%22">Resilience (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Twins%22">Twins</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/desc.70172
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  Data: 1363-755X<br />1467-7687
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  Data: COVID-19 has profoundly affected children's well-being. Resilience was often found to be negatively correlated with COVID-19 impacts. However, the role of resilience in directly shaping COVID-19 impacts on children remains unclear, as studies report conflicting evidence regarding the potential causal direction between COVID-19 impacts and resilience. Higher resilience could reduce COVID-19 impacts, while COVID-19 impacts may also disrupt or enhance resilience. Or it could be the case that the two are simply correlated due to shared underlying common factors. This preregistered study uses a twin-based Direction of Causation modeling approach with data from 1166 twins (age: M = 12.59; 50.78% male; 85.08% White) to explore the causal direction between COVID-19 impacts and resilience. Resilience was assessed using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM)--Child Version, a child self-report questionnaire assessing resources available for children's resilience. Findings revealed a causal effect such that resilience resources explained 32% variance in overall COVID-19 impacts, consistently buffering negative outcomes across multiple domains (e.g., social connections, general stress, and COVID-related stress). A reciprocal causal effect was found for economic impacts, with resilience mitigating economic impacts and economic challenges enhancing resilience.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Data: https://ldbase.org/datasets/d1bd167f-b5e6-4a56-ae2d-5f67609977a3
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