Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
PLoS One. 2023 Mar 16;18(3):e0283227. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283227. eCollection 2023.
The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted regular routines forcing many children to learn from home, requiring many adults to work from home, and cutting families off from support outside the home. Public health restrictions associated with the pandemic caused widespread psychological distress including depression and anxiety, increased fear, panic, and stress. These trends are particularly concerning for families raising neuroatypical children such as those with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as these children are already more likely than their typically developing peers to experience comorbid mental health issues, and to experience greater distress when required to stay indoors. Families with children who have ADHD are also at greater risk for experiencing heightened familial stress due to the challenges associated with managing ADHD behavioural symptoms, greater parental discord and divorce, and greater financial difficulties compared to other families. The current study engaged families comprised of at least one child diagnosed with ADHD to elucidate 1) the unique ways that the COVID-19 pandemic affected their mental health and 2) the specific barriers these families faced to maintaining optimal mental wellbeing.
A total of 33 participants (15 parent-child dyads) engaged in virtual interviews. Content analysis revealed that the most frequently identified mental health effects for families were increased child anxiety and disconnectedness, as well as deteriorating parental mental health. The most frequently identified barriers to maintaining optimal mental wellbeing were lack of routine, lack of social interaction and social supports, and uncertainty and fear.
Findings underscore areas of need during times of large-scale social isolation, specifically for families with children who have ADHD. This work contributes to a growing body of research aimed at creating safeguards to support mental wellbeing for vulnerable families during times of crisis.
COVID-19 大流行打乱了常规生活，迫使许多孩子在家学习，许多成年人在家工作，并使家庭无法获得家庭以外的支持。大流行带来的公共卫生限制导致了广泛的心理困扰，包括抑郁和焦虑、增加的恐惧、恐慌和压力。对于养育神经发育异常儿童（例如患有注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）的儿童）的家庭来说，这些趋势尤其令人担忧，因为这些儿童比其典型发展的同龄人更有可能同时患有精神健康问题，并且当需要呆在室内时，他们会感到更大的困扰。与管理 ADHD 行为症状、父母不和与离婚以及更大的经济困难相关的挑战相比，患有 ADHD 的儿童的家庭也面临着更高的家庭压力风险。本研究让至少有一名被诊断患有 ADHD 的儿童的家庭参与进来，以阐明 1）COVID-19 大流行对他们的心理健康产生的独特影响，以及 2）这些家庭在维持最佳心理健康方面面临的具体障碍。
共有 33 名参与者（15 对父母-子女）参与了虚拟访谈。内容分析显示，家庭中最常被识别的心理健康影响是儿童焦虑和脱节增加，以及父母心理健康恶化。维持最佳心理健康的最常见障碍是缺乏常规、缺乏社会互动和社会支持，以及不确定性和恐惧。
研究结果强调了在大规模社会隔离时期的需求领域，特别是对于有 ADHD 儿童的家庭。这项工作为越来越多旨在为危机时期脆弱家庭的心理健康提供保障的研究做出了贡献。
