Luxi Wang1, Dexin Li2, Shixu Pan1, Jinhe Zhai1, Wei Xia1, Caihong Sun3, Mingyang Zou4. 1. Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China. 2. Department of Children Psychology, Zhuhai Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Zhuhai, 519001, China. 3. Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China. suncaihong2003@163.com. 4. Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China. mingyangshine@sina.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The psychological distress caused by COVID-19 may be pronounced among the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to investigate psychological distress among parents of children with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 1764 parents of children with ASD and 4962 parents of typically developing (TD) children were recruited. The participants completed an online survey which contained demographic information, the impact due to COVID-19 crisis, resilience, coping styles, anxiety and depression. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the contributions of these variables to anxiety and depression. RESULTS: After adjusting for demographic variables, the following factors were associated with parents' anxiety and depression symptoms: (i) Whether or not the participants had a child with ASD; (ii) resilience; (iii) coping strategies, and; (iv) the impact due to COVID-19. Among these, the psychological stress caused by COVID-19 played the most important role in parental anxiety (β = 0.353) and depression (β = 0.242) symptoms. Parents of children with ASD had lower levels of resilience and positive coping, and used more negative coping strategies than parents of TD children. Among all participants, 8.0 and 24.2% of parents had symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. Compared to parents of TD children, more parents of children with ASD exhibited symptoms of anxiety and depression (12.2% vs. 6.6%; 31.0% vs. 21.7%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents experienced varying levels of anxiety and depression, particularly, parents of children with ASD. More specific attention should be paid to parental mental health and long-term effective intervention programs, that are targeted towards parents of children with ASD, and such programs should be promoted around China in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
OBJECTIVES: The psychological distress caused by COVID-19 may be pronounced among the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to investigate psychological distress among parents of children with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A total of 1764 parents of children with ASD and 4962 parents of typically developing (TD) children were recruited. The participants completed an online survey which contained demographic information, the impact due to COVID-19 crisis, resilience, coping styles, anxiety and depression. Hierarchical linear regression was used to assess the contributions of these variables to anxiety and depression. RESULTS: After adjusting for demographic variables, the following factors were associated with parents' anxiety and depression symptoms: (i) Whether or not the participants had a child with ASD; (ii) resilience; (iii) coping strategies, and; (iv) the impact due to COVID-19. Among these, the psychological stress caused by COVID-19 played the most important role in parental anxiety (β = 0.353) and depression (β = 0.242) symptoms. Parents of children with ASD had lower levels of resilience and positive coping, and used more negative coping strategies than parents of TD children. Among all participants, 8.0 and 24.2% of parents had symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. Compared to parents of TD children, more parents of children with ASD exhibited symptoms of anxiety and depression (12.2% vs. 6.6%; 31.0% vs. 21.7%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents experienced varying levels of anxiety and depression, particularly, parents of children with ASD. More specific attention should be paid to parental mental health and long-term effective intervention programs, that are targeted towards parents of children with ASD, and such programs should be promoted around China in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Authors: Michael Y Ni; Lin Yang; Candi M C Leung; Na Li; Xiaoxin I Yao; Yishan Wang; Gabriel M Leung; Benjamin J Cowling; Qiuyan Liao Journal: JMIR Ment Health Date: 2020-05-12
Authors: Tamara K Oser; Sean M Oser; Jessica A Parascando; Lee Ann Grisolano; Kanthi Bangalore Krishna; Daniel E Hale; Michelle Litchman; Shideh Majidi; Paul Haidet Journal: J Med Internet Res Date: 2020-06-03 Impact factor: 5.428
Authors: Leontine W Ten Hoopen; Pieter F A de Nijs; Jorieke Duvekot; Kirstin Greaves-Lord; Manon H J Hillegers; Werner B F Brouwer; Leona Hakkaart-van Roijen Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2020-01