Salud mental de cuidadores de niños con trastornos del neurodesarrollo durante la pandemia

Abstract

Caregivers are especially likely to be more psychologically affected during the social and health care system constraints generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., autism, intellectual disability, attention deficit, hyperactivity, motor disability) have a more essential role than caregivers of healthy children. A quantitative cross-sectional study was designed, using descriptive, comparative and correlational statistical techniques to analyze health-related quality of life, emotional distress and overload in four subgroups of caregivers, classified according to the child's diagnosis. A total of 132 caregivers (86.4% women) were included. In group 1 (cognitive disability), 28 caregivers participated; in group 2 (ADHD), 51 were included; in group 3 (autism spectrum disorder), 33 caregivers participated, and in group 4 (motor disability), 20 were included. The main findings of this study were: i) alterations in physical role, bodily pain, general health and vitality; ii) very low percentages of depression, anxiety, stress and overload symptomatology; iii) differences in social functioning between the motor disability and ADHD groups; and in stress and overload between the autism and motor disability groups; and iv) moderate correlations between the dimensions of bodily pain and emotional role and depression, anxiety, stress and overload. It was concluded that there is more impairment in variables associated with physical health than with mental health.