In just a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic swiftly and substantially worsened mental health among U.S. hourly service workers and their children -- especially those experiencing multiple hardships, according to new research from the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University and Barnard College. "What's worse is that the more hardship families experienced, the worse parents' and children's mental health." Gassman-Pines and co-author Elizabeth Ananat of Barnard College suggest pediatricians should screen for mental health problems among children in their practices, with particular attention to children whose families are especially vulnerable to both the economic and health aspects of the crisis.