학술논문
How Did the Pandemic Affect Autistic Children and Their Families? Challenges and Psychosocial Impacts/Otizmli Cocuklar ve Aileleri icin Pandemi Donemi Nasil Gecti? Yasanan Zorluklar ve Psikososyal Etkiler
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Document Type
Academic Journal
Source
Namik Kemal Medical Journal (Namik Kemal Tıp Dergisi). December 2023, Vol. 11 Issue 4, p346, 8 p.
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In late 2019, a novel coronavirus was identified as the cause of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. The outbreak rapidly spread throughout China, and subsequently throughout the world, causing [...]
Aim: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are especially vulnerable to the pandemic due to their need for routine and difficulty in adapting to change. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial impact of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on children diagnosed with ASD and their families and the challenges they faced during this period. Materials and Methods: We surveyed 85 parents of children with ASD aged 3-18 years, who were followed up in our clinic between the years of 2020 and 2021. We assessed ASD families' pandemic impact with the 'Child and Adolescent Reactions to Stressful Situations-Autism Family Adaptation and Resilience' items. Parents answered the questionnaire online or by phone. Results: The mean age of the children was 10.3[+ or -]4.1 years, 65 were boys and 20 were girls. 10.6% of the families had a medical emergency during the pandemic. The most common behavioral problems were anger, difficulty in concentrating, and hyperactivity. 37.6% of the children could not receive educational support, 74.1% could not receive treatment, 31.1% had difficulty in reaching a doctor, and 7.8% had difficulty in affording treatment. Furthermore, 33% of the children spent more than 4 hours a day on screens. 61.2% of parents rated the pandemic quarantine process as more difficult than before. Conclusion: The pandemic disrupted the daily routines, special education, rehabilitation, and health care services of children with ASD. It also increased their behavioral problems. Therefore, recognizing and addressing the psychological needs of children with special needs, such as ASD, will be an important part of the response to future disasters. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, pandemic, COVID-19, child psychiatry, psychosocial Amac: Otizm spektrum bozuklugu (OSB) olan cocuklar, rutin ihtiyaclari ve degisime uyum saglamadaki zorluklari nedeniyle pandemiye karsi ozellikle savunmasizdir. Bu calismanin amaci, Koronavirus hastaligi-2019 (COVID-19) pandemisinin OSB tanili cocuklar ve aileleri uzerindeki psikososyal etkisini ve bu donemde karsilastiklari zorluklari degerlendirmektir. Gerec ve Yontem: 2020-2021 yillari arasinda klinigimizde takip edilen 3-18 yas arasi 85 OSB'li cocugun ebeveynine, arastirmacilar tarafindan hazirlanan anket formu uygulandi. OSB tanili cocugu olan ailelerin pandemiden etkilenme durumlari 'Stresli Durumlara Cocuk ve Ergen TepkileriOtizm Aile Adaptasyonu ve Dayanikliligi' maddeleri ile degerlendirildi. Ebeveynler anketi cevrimici olarak veya telefonla yanitladi. Bulgular: Cocuklarin yas ortalamasi 10,3[+ or -]4,1 yil, 65'i erkek ve 20'si kizdi. Ailelerin %10,6'si pandemi sirasinda tibbi bir acil durum yasadigini bildirdi. En sik gorulen davranis sorunlari ofke, konsantrasyon guclugu ve hiperaktivite idi. Cocuklarin %37,6'sinin egitim destegi alamadigi, %74,1'inin tedavi goremedigi, %31,1'inin doktora ulasmakta zorluk cektigi ve %7,8'inin tedaviyi karsilamakta gucluk cektigi bildirildi. Ayrica cocuklarin %33'u gunde 4 saatten fazla ekran basinda vakit geciriyordu. Ebeveynlerin %61,2'si pandemi karantina surecini eskisinden daha zor olarak degerlendirdi. Sonuc: Pandemi, OSB'li cocuklarin gunluk rutinlerini, ozel egitim, rehabilitasyon ve saglik hizmetlerini sekteye ugratmis, ayrica davranis sorunlarini da arttirmistir. Bu nedenle, OSB gibi ozel gereksinimi olan cocuklarin ruhsal ihtiyaclarini bilmek ve karsilayabilmek, gelecek afet durumlarinda yapilacak yardimlarin onemli bir parcasi olacaktir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Otizm spektrum bozuklugu, pandemi, COVID-19, cocuk psikiyatrisi, psikososyal
Aim: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are especially vulnerable to the pandemic due to their need for routine and difficulty in adapting to change. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial impact of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on children diagnosed with ASD and their families and the challenges they faced during this period. Materials and Methods: We surveyed 85 parents of children with ASD aged 3-18 years, who were followed up in our clinic between the years of 2020 and 2021. We assessed ASD families' pandemic impact with the 'Child and Adolescent Reactions to Stressful Situations-Autism Family Adaptation and Resilience' items. Parents answered the questionnaire online or by phone. Results: The mean age of the children was 10.3[+ or -]4.1 years, 65 were boys and 20 were girls. 10.6% of the families had a medical emergency during the pandemic. The most common behavioral problems were anger, difficulty in concentrating, and hyperactivity. 37.6% of the children could not receive educational support, 74.1% could not receive treatment, 31.1% had difficulty in reaching a doctor, and 7.8% had difficulty in affording treatment. Furthermore, 33% of the children spent more than 4 hours a day on screens. 61.2% of parents rated the pandemic quarantine process as more difficult than before. Conclusion: The pandemic disrupted the daily routines, special education, rehabilitation, and health care services of children with ASD. It also increased their behavioral problems. Therefore, recognizing and addressing the psychological needs of children with special needs, such as ASD, will be an important part of the response to future disasters. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, pandemic, COVID-19, child psychiatry, psychosocial Amac: Otizm spektrum bozuklugu (OSB) olan cocuklar, rutin ihtiyaclari ve degisime uyum saglamadaki zorluklari nedeniyle pandemiye karsi ozellikle savunmasizdir. Bu calismanin amaci, Koronavirus hastaligi-2019 (COVID-19) pandemisinin OSB tanili cocuklar ve aileleri uzerindeki psikososyal etkisini ve bu donemde karsilastiklari zorluklari degerlendirmektir. Gerec ve Yontem: 2020-2021 yillari arasinda klinigimizde takip edilen 3-18 yas arasi 85 OSB'li cocugun ebeveynine, arastirmacilar tarafindan hazirlanan anket formu uygulandi. OSB tanili cocugu olan ailelerin pandemiden etkilenme durumlari 'Stresli Durumlara Cocuk ve Ergen TepkileriOtizm Aile Adaptasyonu ve Dayanikliligi' maddeleri ile degerlendirildi. Ebeveynler anketi cevrimici olarak veya telefonla yanitladi. Bulgular: Cocuklarin yas ortalamasi 10,3[+ or -]4,1 yil, 65'i erkek ve 20'si kizdi. Ailelerin %10,6'si pandemi sirasinda tibbi bir acil durum yasadigini bildirdi. En sik gorulen davranis sorunlari ofke, konsantrasyon guclugu ve hiperaktivite idi. Cocuklarin %37,6'sinin egitim destegi alamadigi, %74,1'inin tedavi goremedigi, %31,1'inin doktora ulasmakta zorluk cektigi ve %7,8'inin tedaviyi karsilamakta gucluk cektigi bildirildi. Ayrica cocuklarin %33'u gunde 4 saatten fazla ekran basinda vakit geciriyordu. Ebeveynlerin %61,2'si pandemi karantina surecini eskisinden daha zor olarak degerlendirdi. Sonuc: Pandemi, OSB'li cocuklarin gunluk rutinlerini, ozel egitim, rehabilitasyon ve saglik hizmetlerini sekteye ugratmis, ayrica davranis sorunlarini da arttirmistir. Bu nedenle, OSB gibi ozel gereksinimi olan cocuklarin ruhsal ihtiyaclarini bilmek ve karsilayabilmek, gelecek afet durumlarinda yapilacak yardimlarin onemli bir parcasi olacaktir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Otizm spektrum bozuklugu, pandemi, COVID-19, cocuk psikiyatrisi, psikososyal