Occupational Impact of COVID-19 Social Isolation on Brazilian Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown impacted the occupational performance of all mothers. For those who were mothers of diversely developing children, it was even more difficult. To measure how the lockdown affected mothers in Brazil, comparing those with typically developing children (MTD) to those with children with disabilities or developmental disorders (MDD). This is a cross-sectional, exploratory, quantitative research realized using an online questionnaire; data were collected on sociodemographics and changes in occupational performance during lockdown. In total, 1,070 mothers of children aged 3 to 12 years (76.5% MTD, 23.5% MDD) reported diminished performance, especially in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. The decline was more significant in the MDD group. The lockdown negatively impacted the occupational performance of all mothers, with a greater effect on MDD, suggesting possibilities for interventions in occupational therapy to reduce maternal overload in similar situations.