Stress symptoms and resilience factors in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Psychol
; 40(7): 428-438, 2021 Jul.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1373359
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
This study examined the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy by specifically looking at the psychosocial response of children/adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) and their parents, and explored which factors could potentially contribute to increasing or mitigating stress-related behaviors in children/adolescents as well as their parents' stress.METHOD:
An online anonymous survey was designed to investigate family demographic characteristics, COVID-19 outbreak and restriction-related variables, children/adolescents' behavioral regulation problems, parental stress, and resilience. Data were collected from 1,472 parents (83.1% mothers) of 1632 NDD children/adolescents (33.7% females).RESULTS:
Compared to pre-emergency, parents reported a significant increase in their children's behavioral regulation problems Anxious/depressed behavior, Attention problems, and Aggressive behavior (p < .001), and they reported feeling more Overwhelmed and Burdened (p < .001) as parents but less Unfulfilled, Numbness, Devastated, and Angry (p < .001). A hierarchical stepwise regression analysis revealed that both behavioral regulation problems in NDD children/adolescents and parental stress are-at least partially-buffered by resilience factors in parents (Perception of self, Planned future, Family cohesion).CONCLUSIONS:
Results showed that behavioral regulation problems in children/adolescents with NDD and parental stress increased. However, parental resilience can act as a protective factor, counterbalancing parental difficulties in the care of their NDD children during the emergency. Identifying risk and protective factors impacting the psychosocial response ofchildren/adolescents with NDD and their parents is essential to implement appropriate support interventions both for parents and children/adolescents with NDD during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Parents
/
Stress, Psychological
/
Resilience, Psychological
/
Pandemics
/
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Health Psychol
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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