The effects of cumulative stressful educational events on the mental health of doctoral students during the Covid-19 pandemic.

High rates of psychological distress including anxiety and depression are common in the doctoral community and the learning environment has a role to play. With the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic taking a toll on mental health it is necessary to explore the risk and protective factors for this population. Using data from the Covid-19: Global Study of Social Trust and Mental Health, the present study examined the relationship between Covid-19-related stressful educational experiences and doctoral students' mental health problems. Moreover, it assessed the role of attentional ability and coping skills in promoting good mental health. One hundred and fifty-five doctoral students completed an online survey where micro-, meso- and macro-level educational stressors were measured. The Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire were used to measure depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. We also measured coping skills using a 13-item scale and attentional ability using a questionnaire. The results of multiple linear regression analyses showed that specific stressful educational experiences were unrelated but cumulative stressful educational experiences were related to increased depression symptoms (but not anxiety symptoms) in fully adjusted models. Additionally, higher coping skills and attentional ability were related to fewer depression and anxiety symptoms. Finally, no associations between demographics and other covariates and mental health problems were found. The experience of multiple educational stressful events in their learning environment due to Covid-19 is a key risk factor for increased mental illness in the doctoral community. This could be explained by the uncertainty that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused to the students.

Anxiety, concerns and emotion regulation in individuals with Williams syndrome and Down syndrome during the COVID-19 outbreak: a global study.

Individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) have been reported to experience increased levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our study, we document how individuals with Down Syndrome (DS; N = 557; Mage = 16.52; 233 female) and Williams syndrome (WS, N = 247; Mage = 18.43; 113 female) experienced the first wave (April 2020-May 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world. Using multilevel linear mixed regressions, we studied (a) parental reported anxiety of individuals with DS and WS, (b) these individuals' specific concerns, and (c) their use and efficacy of emotion regulation (ER) strategies during the first wave of COVID-19. Predictors of anxiety, such as the age of the individual with NDC, type of condition, and time, were investigated. Individuals with WS experienced higher levels of anxiety compared to those with DS and the older the individuals with NDC were the more anxiety they experienced. In terms of concerns, group effects indicated that individuals with WS scored higher for most of the concerns. There were no gender differences in concerns, yet most of the concerns increased with age except for concerns about loss of routine, boredom, loss of institutional support and family conflict. Finally, significant group effects were found and indicated a more frequent use of a variety of adaptive and maladaptive ER strategies in individuals with WS. We did not identify group differences in the efficacy of ER strategies. Our results indicate that individuals with WS are likely to exhibit higher levels of anxiety, but also higher levels of concerns depending on their age. Similarly, individuals with WS use a variety of ER strategies more frequently but these strategies are not necessarily more efficient for them. We discuss the impact of these findings in relation to anxiety identification and support across individuals with NDCs.

The impact of the pandemic on children under 11 with Down Syndrome

AimsThe UK has faced 3 major lockdowns since March 2020 due to the pandemic, affecting access to education, healthcare provision and social activities. Children with Down Syndrome are more likely to have chronic health conditions and require developmental support, therefore are more likely to be impacted by healthcare delays and the move to remote services. Childhood is a crucial time for social, physical, and emotional development so 2 years of disrupted support will have had life-long consequences. This survey aimed to determine the impact of the pandemic on children under 11 with DS in the UK.MethodsThe survey was split into 6 categories: Demographics, Education, Healthcare provision, Physical health, Mental health, and Behaviour. Parents/carers gave feedback during the survey development. The questions were inputted into REDCap survey software on a secure server and all data was anonymously submitted. The survey was circulated using a digital snowballing technique through social media and email. Charities and support groups were contacted and asked to share the survey. Valid response percentages for each item were calculated and presented below.ResultsThere were 241 responses from caregivers across the UK between 25thOctober 2021 and 14th February 2022 (England 79.5%;Scotland 18.5%;Wales 2.9%;NI 2.1%). The children were primarily White (n=215) and male (Male: n=124;Female: n=117).Parents believed that remote learning had a negative impact on children with DS. 51% (n=53) of parents of children who continued school online felt that their child did not progress with their learning and 83.8% (n=88) felt they were missing out on key learning activities. 84.3% (n=129) believed that missing out on after-school activities had a moderate-large impact on their child and 59.8% (n=143) of parents believe that the lockdown has caused their child’s social skills to deteriorate.Healthcare/therapy provision was a large concern;89.8% (n=211) had appointments delayed and/or cancelled, while 43.6% (n=17) of those awaiting surgeries had them cancelled due to COVID and another 43.6% (n=17) were delayed. 57.1% (n=20) of those parents were worried about their child’s health as a result and 34.2% (n=78) of parents saw a direct increase in health issues.Parents saw a change in their child’s mental health and behaviour. 68.7% (n=161) of parents believe that their child’s emotional wellbeing had deteriorated, with the number of children presenting with signs of aggression often/almost always increasing from 4.3% (n=10) to 20.9% (n=48) and those crying often/almost always increasing from 2.5% (n=6) to 19.9% (n=47). As such, 77.8% (n=159) said the pandemic made the family dynamic more strained/stressful.ConclusionDespite parents reporting that 58.2% (n=139) of their children were ‘seemingly unaware’ of the pandemic, it has nonetheless had a clear negative impact on their health, development and quality of life. Conducting qualitative interviews with families would provide a deeper insight into the lived experiences of the children during the pandemic and help to develop a tailored and targeted approach to support parents/carers and their children moving forward.