The circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a psychological toll on parents. Thus, understanding the impact of these contextual stressors on parents is important to help inform the development of family-based health promotion interventions. The present study examined parents’ perception of various sources of stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 294) completed an open-ended question about their primary source of stress during the pandemic, which we coded into one or more of the following categories: family, work, health, and finance. We used chi-square tests to determine whether gender, marital status, financial strain, and education level were significantly related to each of the four primary sources of stress. We found that female, married, and financially strained participants were more likely to report family-related stressors. Further, we found that participants who expressed concern over health-related stressors were more likely to have pre-existing health conditions. Finally, we found that single participants were more likely to express concerns over financial stressors. Our findings shed light on parental concerns following the pandemic and inform new research directions, clinical approaches, and policy issues at the individual, community, and societal levels.

Purpose: This study investigates the interplay between intimate partner violence (IPV), mental health symptoms (posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety), and sleep quality in pregnant women. It examines the alignment between subjective (self-reported) and objective (actigraphy) measures of sleep and explores how IPV subtypes (physical violence, psychological aggression, and sexual coercion) influence these measures, considering the potential mediating role of mental health. Methods: The study involved 46 pregnant women with a history of IPV exposure within the past year or serving as controls. Participants completed surveys assessing IPV, mental health, and self-reported sleep quality, followed by seven days of actigraphy monitoring. Statistical analyses included Spearman correlations, Bland–Altman plots for sleep measure agreement, and path analyses to explore relationships between IPV, mental health symptoms, and sleep parameters. Results: Moderate correlations were observed between subjective and objective measures for time in bed and sleep onset latency (SOL). IPV subtypes showed distinct associations with sleep parameters: physical violence directly impacted total sleep time and efficiency, while sexual coercion influenced SOL. Mental health symptoms did not mediate these relationships significantly. Discrepancies between subjective and objective sleep measures highlighted potential biases linked to IPV exposure. Conclusion: IPV exposure significantly disrupts sleep during pregnancy, with unique effects observed for different IPV subtypes. These disturbances occur independently of mental health symptoms, underscoring the need for routine sleep assessments and tailored interventions in prenatal care for IPV-exposed women. Integrating subjective and objective sleep evaluations can enhance understanding and management of sleep disturbances in this vulnerable population.