Most adults in the United States agree that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic has passed, but they're divided over concerns and expectations for what's next, according to a survey published Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

At this stage of the pandemic, opinions on masking and other restrictions aimed to minimize the spread are mixed — with a split largely down party lines.

Overall in the U.S., more than 60% of adults say they are concerned about the consequences of lifting restrictions and keeping them in place. But Democrats are far more likely to say they are concerned about the negative effects of lifting restrictions, while Republicans were more likely to be concerned about the negative effects of keeping restrictions in place.

More than 80% of Democrats said they were at least "somewhat" worried that immunocompromised people will be left behind if the government lifts masking restrictions, compared with 30% of Republicans. Democrats were also about three times more likely than Republicans to say that lifting restrictions could lead to more deaths in their community or cause hospitals to become overwhelmed.

About three-quarters of Republicans, meanwhile, said they worry that local businesses would suffer due to loss of revenue, compared with 50% of Democrats.

A majority of both Democrats (56%) and Republicans (73%) said they are worried that the mental health of kids and teenagers will suffer if restrictions are kept in place.

Red and blue states alike have started to lift mask mandates and roll back other pandemic-related restrictions such as vaccination requirements.

But on Friday — just a few days after KFF completed its latest survey — the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shifted the metrics used to drive local masking guidance, dropping the recommendation to mask indoors from 99% of people in the U.S. to less than 30%.

The new CDC recommendations also apply to schools.

Support for masks in schools has fallen since the start of the school year, and parents are now split on the issue, according to the KFF survey.

In September, more than 60% of parents favored some level of masking requirements in school. Now, 43% say masks should be required for all students and staff, 46% say there should be no requirement at all, and 9% say masks should be required only for the unvaccinated in schools.

The partisan divide is clear, with two-thirds of Democrats in support of universal masking requirements in schools and more than three-quarters of Republicans in favor of removing mask requirements completely in schools.

And as masking guidance shifts, vaccinations stagnate.

The KFF survey was fielded right as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration postponed making a decision on whether to authorize a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for emergency use among children ages 6 months through 4 years.

Nearly 40% of parents of children younger than 5 said that communication from federal health agencies about vaccines for this age group has been confusing. Most say they don't have enough information about their safety and effectiveness, and more than two-thirds say they are not confident that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for young children.

Only about 1 in 5 parents of children younger than 5 says they plan to get their child vaccinated right away once they are eligible, according to the KFF survey.

About a third of children ages 5 to 11 are already vaccinated. But parents of another third of kids in this age group say that they will "definitely not" get their child vaccinated.

On Monday, new data from the New York State Department of Health showed that vaccine effectiveness waned quickly during the omicron surge, especially among children ages 5 to 11, but was still protective against severe disease.

The authors of the preprint study concluded that if other studies repeat these findings, the vaccine dose for younger children may need to be reviewed. The authors also said the data may demonstrate a need to continue "layered protections, including mask-wearing, to prevent infection and transmission" in younger children.

The KFF survey found that vaccination rates are higher for older children, with about 57% of children ages 12 to 17 vaccinated. But parents of another 30% say they will "definitely not" get their adolescent vaccinated.

Overall, vaccination rates among adults have remained largely unchanged, with only about half receiving a booster shot.

Yet more than a third of adults say it's safe to return to pre-pandemic activities.

This is especially true among Republicans (65%) and unvaccinated adults (60%), but it's far less common among Democrats (11%) and vaccinated adults (26%). Only a quarter of adults say it will be at least another year before it will be safe to return to normal.

The vast majority of those surveyed said "normal" life will be different going forward, including continued mask-wearing, continued precautions, changes to the way we work and social distancing.

You're racing around town, trying to purchase a present for everyone on your list. The past week has been filled with evenings of chauffeuring your family to holiday parties and visits with Santa, leaving everyone exhausted.

The most wonderful time of the year can also be the most stressful.

One in five parents admitted their stress likely negatively impacts their children's enjoyment of the holidays, according to a C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at University of Michigan Health.

Parents can set unrealistic expectations of how the holiday season should be, said poll author Sarah Clark, a research scientist in the department of pediatrics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is also co-director of the C.S. Mott poll.

Adults often try and fit in many holiday traditions like wearing matching outfits for the Christmas card or attending annual parties, she said, at times so many that it can cause palpable tension and stress in a household.

"Something parents should keep in mind is that adhering to traditions is not always what is most important to the kids and definitely adds to that holiday stress," Clark said.

Clark recommended parents sit down with their children to find out what their expectations are rather than assuming anything.

Parents should ask open-ended questions such as "What did you like best?" or "What do you remember from other holiday seasons?" she said. This will help parents prioritize what is important to the family, which in turn decreases the long to-do lists many households have this time of year, Clark explained.

Another strategy to tackle those long lists is to set aside more time than you think you need to do them and start completing tasks sooner, said CNN contributor John Duffy, clinical psychologist in Chicago and author of "Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety."

"Parents allow themselves to get into the holiday spirit earlier in the season," Duffy said. "By taking their time, they also regulate their stress levels far better than they would otherwise."

Parents also feel the pressure

One in four parents said they set high expectations for themselves during the holidays, which detracts from their enjoyment of the season too.

Of the 2,020 parents polled in October, one in six said they have high-stress levels during the holidays, with almost twice as many mothers reporting they feel stress than fathers.

Traditional gender roles likely come into play here, with mothers taking on many of the chores and shopping tasks of the season, Clark said.

"Other members of the family might say, 'Who cares if we do holiday cards this year?' But if it's important to the mother, that will get put on her plate and be more stressful to her," she said.

Mothers are more likely to find stress relief when other family members pitch in to help compared to fathers, the poll found. However, it can be difficult for some mothers to accept help because they have a specific vision of how the holidays should go, Clark said.

The key is to accept the help for what it is and let go of some of the expectations, she said.

Fathers, on the other hand, are more likely to throw themselves into work to handle the stress, according to the poll.

"This choice certainly protects men from the many stressors that the holidays can bring, but far too often, they often miss some of the joy of those tasks," Duffy said.

Practicing good mental hygiene

The holidays are a great opportunity that is often overlooked for how to set an example of practicing positive mental health, Clark said.

When parents are feeling stressed, they should articulate it to their children and talk about the action they are going to take to destress, she said.

"It could be, 'We are not going to go to the neighborhood holiday event this year because everybody feels tired. We're just going to get in our pajamas early and stay home and eat popcorn and watch a movie,'" Clark said.

Duffy recommended parents take frequent breaks to watch an episode of their favorite television show, go for a walk or step aside and take a moment to breathe. To avoid holiday burnout, he also suggested parents take a day or two off work to rest and rejuvenate if possible.

Parents should also be aware of how certain holiday activities can trigger their stress because it is likely to affect the entire family unit, Duffy said.

His family often gets invited to many holiday events, but he said he would prefer to go to one or two. To feel energized for the evening holiday activities, he said he takes extra time for himself on those days so he can be fully present.

Keeping a routine

With school out of session for the break, the poll found many parents relax household rules. Around 20% of parents said they relaxed screen time rules, and 19% said they were less strict on bedtimes.

"There's a famous Christmas song that says, 'Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again,' so I think parents need to be realistic that school is the natural scheduler for a lot of families," Clark said.

In lieu of a school schedule, Clark recommended parents create a schedule that prioritizes children getting enough sleep and good nutrition.

With regular sleep, children are less likely to be cranky and have an emotional outburst, which may negatively affect the entire family, Duffy said.

Mental health experts are concerned about the lasting impact of the new coronavirus.

“We have to make sure not to just prioritize the health of the country and the financial well-being of our businesses, but we have to keep our eye on the ball for mental health,” said Dr. Jared Skillings, a psychologist the

American Psychological Association.

A new poll says about half of adults feel the pandemic is impacting their mental health. Almost one in five say it's had a major impact.

The national hotline for those feeling emotional distress has nearly nine times more calls than this time last year.

The number for the disaster distress helpline is 1-800-985-5990. You can also text “talk with us” to 66746 to speak with a crisis counselor.

Dr. Skillings says isolation, financial stress and anxiety are fueling problems.

“I think we're going to see both new cases of people never had having a mental health issue where that comes up for them now and I think we're going to see a resurgence of people who had a mental health issues come back because it’s going to bring a lot of things to the surface that are difficult,” said Dr. Skillings.

The country is already dealing with a provider shortage.

The American Psychological Association is trying to have restrictions loosened, so professionals can practice across state lines. It also wants insurance to cover telehealth and phone call care for vulnerable groups.

Dr. Skillings says staying active, eating right and getting proper rest can help mental health.

“But while we are in the middle of this, what can you change, how can you lean into something you haven't done before?” asked Dr. Skillings.

Research says telehealth is just as effective as in-person therapy.