Economic strain and parental coping – evidence from Finland

The international financial crisis 2008–2009 led to a period of economic recession in Europe, and in Finland this lasted until around 2016–2017. The recession had a number of negative outcomes, such as higher unemployment, higher poverty rates, and an overall higher economic strain for households with children. The aim of this article is to analyse the association between economic strain and parental coping in a Finnish context, but also to assess the relevance of other social and health-related factors in explaining parental coping experiences. We used cross-sectional survey data on parents collected in 2012 by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in Finland. The findings show economic strain to have an undermining influence on parental coping, but they also point at the significance of sufficient support and work/family reconciliation for parents coping. The results have implications both for social work practices and for policy, both in terms of tailoring adequate social support and services for parents as well as enhancing work/family reconciliation.