Annalisa Levante1,2, Serena Petrocchi2,3, Federica Bianco4, Ilaria Castelli4, Costanza Colombi5,6, Roberto Keller7, Antonio Narzisi5, Gabriele Masi5, Flavia Lecciso1,2. 1. Department of History, Society, and Human Studies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy. 2. Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Department of History, Society, and Human Studies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy. 3. Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Buffi 13, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland. 4. Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, 23129 Bergamo, Italy. 5. IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, 56018 Pisa, Italy. 6. Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. 7. Adult Autism Center, Mental Health Department, Local Health Unit ASL Città di Torino, 10138 Turin, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: When COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic, many countries imposed severe lockdowns that changed families' routines and negatively impacted on parents' and children's mental health. Several studies on families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) revealed that lockdown increased the difficulties faced by individuals with ASD, as well as parental distress. No studies have analyzed the interplay between parental distress, children's emotional responses, and adaptive behaviors in children with ASD considering the period of the mandatory lockdown. Furthermore, we compared families with children on the spectrum and families with typically developing (TD) children in terms of their distress, children's emotional responses, and behavioral adaptation. METHODS: In this study, 120 parents of children aged 5-10 years (53 with ASD) participated. RESULTS: In the four tested models, children's positive and negative emotional responses mediated the impact of parental distress on children's playing activities. In the ASD group, parents reported that their children expressed more positive emotions, but fewer playing activities, than TD children. Families with children on the spectrum reported greater behavioral problems during the lockdown and more parental distress. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings inform the interventions designed for parents to reduce distress and to develop coping strategies to better manage the caregiver-child relationship.
BACKGROUND: When COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic, many countries imposed severe lockdowns that changed families' routines and negatively impacted on parents' and children's mental health. Several studies on families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) revealed that lockdown increased the difficulties faced by individuals with ASD, as well as parental distress. No studies have analyzed the interplay between parental distress, children's emotional responses, and adaptive behaviors in children with ASD considering the period of the mandatory lockdown. Furthermore, we compared families with children on the spectrum and families with typically developing (TD) children in terms of their distress, children's emotional responses, and behavioral adaptation. METHODS: In this study, 120 parents of children aged 5-10 years (53 with ASD) participated. RESULTS: In the four tested models, children's positive and negative emotional responses mediated the impact of parental distress on children's playing activities. In the ASD group, parents reported that their children expressed more positive emotions, but fewer playing activities, than TD children. Families with children on the spectrum reported greater behavioral problems during the lockdown and more parental distress. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings inform the interventions designed for parents to reduce distress and to develop coping strategies to better manage the caregiver-child relationship.
Authors: Annalisa Levante; Serena Petrocchi; Costanza Colombi; Roberto Keller; Antonio Narzisi; Gabriele Masi; Flavia Lecciso Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-04-19 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Helene Kreysa; Dana Schneider; Andrea Erika Kowallik; Samaneh Sadat Dastgheib; Cem Doğdu; Gabriele Kühn; Jenny Marianne Ruttloff; Stefan R Schweinberger Journal: Healthcare (Basel) Date: 2022-04-12