Elevated Levels of COVID-19-Related Stress and Mental Health Problems Among Parents of Children with Developmental Disorders During the Pandemic.
Randolph C H Chan, Suk Chun Fung
PMID 33913075WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of children with developmental disorders reported more parenting stress and more depressive and anxiety symptoms than parents of typical children.
Pandemic worries and work disruption did not differ.
Key findings
01Parents of children with developmental disorders reported higher parenting stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms than parents of children with typical development.
02More parents of children with developmental disorders met screening criteria for probable clinical depression than parents of children with typical development (25.5% versus 10.3%).
03Parenting stress helped explain the higher depressive and anxiety symptoms seen in parents of children with developmental disorders.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that pandemic stress caused depression or anxiety. Participants were self-selected, and parents who were more worried or severely affected may have been more likely to respond. It included only parents of children aged 8 to 10 in mainstream schools in Hong Kong, mostly mild-to-moderate developmental disorders, so results may not apply to younger children, special schools, or severe disabilities. The COVID-19 stress measure was newly developed and not fully validated, and the work and social disruption subscale had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.57. The sample was 129 parents, and many comparisons were made. The difference in probable generalized anxiety disorder was not statistically significant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the higher depression and anxiety scores as proof that pandemic stress caused them. The study measured parents at one time, so it cannot show cause and effect.