Attending school on Zoom and quarantining from family and friends has children struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic, but, surprisingly, having kids at home may help adults feel less distressed, researchers report. Adults in households with children have fewer mental health problems than adults living without kids, a new study shows. Child care—beyond the effect of larger household size—may actually reduce depression during pandemic social isolation. “In other words, parents/caregivers may be struggling, but not more so than everyone else,” said lead author Shawna Lee, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and director of the Parenting in Context Research Lab. Lee and colleagues say they believe it’s possible that caring for children may provide increased social connections or an increased sense of purpose, both of which may contribute to improved mental health. These questions, while not specifically addressed in the current study, may need to be explored in future research. …