Factors Contributing to Psychological Ill-Effects and Resilience of Caregivers of Children with Developmental Disabilities During a Nation-wide Lockdown During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Tammy S H Lim, Mae Yue Tan, Ramkumar Aishworiya and 4 others
PMID 34236591WHAT IT FOUND
During lockdown, over half of caregivers of children with developmental disabilities screened positive for depression and anxiety.
Poor guidance from therapists and difficulty keeping children indoors were key predictors of distress, while higher resilience was linked to better support.
Key findings
0152.3% of caregivers screened positive for depression and 52.3% for anxiety during the lockdown period.
02Caregivers who perceived poor guidance from teachers and therapists during home-based learning were significantly more likely to screen positive for anxiety.
03Difficulty keeping the child indoors was associated with higher anxiety and stress levels in caregivers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used self-reported questionnaires, which are subject to response bias. Snowball sampling may have reached a more technology-savvy and socially connected group of parents, potentially underestimating the true impact. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or track changes in mental health over time. The sample size was relatively small (107 caregivers), and the findings may not generalize to other countries or cultures.
Declared interests
None declared in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high distress rates are solely due to the child's diagnosis or the lockdown itself. The study links anxiety specifically to perceived poor guidance from professionals, suggesting that the quality of remote support is a modifiable factor in caregiver mental health.