The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Psychological Distress in Family Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disability in the UK.
Karri Gillespie-Smith, Doug McConachie, Carrie Ballantyne and 2 others
PMID 34286392WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities reported higher psychological distress than those of typically developing children.
Distress was linked to child challenging behaviours and coping styles like denial and behavioural disengagement. Caregivers felt unsupported and struggled to explain pandemic rules to children.
Key findings
01Caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities reported higher psychological distress than caregivers of typically developing children.
02Higher levels of child challenging behaviours were significantly related to caregiver psychological distress.
03Coping strategies of denial and behavioural disengagement were significant predictors of increased caregiver psychological distress.
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 sample size was relatively low and recruited opportunistically, so groups were not matched on pre-pandemic distress levels. Diagnoses were self-reported by caregivers rather than clinically verified. The study used a cross-sectional design, so it cannot determine causality between coping strategies and distress. Participants were self-selected via online adverts, which may not represent the wider UK population.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that denial and behavioural disengagement cause caregiver distress. The study was cross-sectional, so it is equally possible that high distress leads caregivers to use these coping strategies.