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Guido A, Marconi E, Peruzzi L, Dinapoli N, Tamburrini G, Attinà G, Romano A, Maurizi P, Mastrangelo S, Chiesa S, Gambacorta MA, Ruggiero A, Chieffo DPR. Psychological Experiences of Parents of Pediatric Cancer Patients during and after COVID-19 Pandemic. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:891. [PMID: 38473253 PMCID: PMC10931029 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16050891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Family members dealing with the devastating impact of a cancer diagnosis are now facing even greater vulnerability due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the already overwhelming trauma, they must also bear the distressing burden of the infection risks. The purpose of this study was to examine and explore the effects in parents of pediatric cancer patients two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to compare these data with the previous data. METHODS We conducted a single-center prospective observational study, enrolling 75 parents of 42 pediatric oncology patients. Four questionnaires (IES-R; PSS; STAI-Y and PedsQL) were given to the parents 2 years after the first evaluation. RESULTS The bivariate matrix of correlation found a strong significant positive correlation between IES-R and PSS scores (r = 0.526, p < 0.001) as in T1. Stress symptoms (t = 0.00, p < 0.001) and levels of anxiety (trait) (t = 0.32, p < 0.001) remained unchanged; anxiety state levels appeared to have increased (t = 0.425, p < 0.001); there was a significant decrease in the PedsQL tot (t = 5.25, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the levels of stress and anxiety of parents and the quality of life of patients, also correlating with the traumatic impact of the diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Guido
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (A.G.); (E.M.); (L.P.); (D.P.R.C.)
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (G.A.); (A.R.); (P.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Elisa Marconi
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (A.G.); (E.M.); (L.P.); (D.P.R.C.)
- Radiation Oncology Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00128 Rome, Italy; (N.D.); (S.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Laura Peruzzi
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (A.G.); (E.M.); (L.P.); (D.P.R.C.)
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (G.A.); (A.R.); (P.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Nicola Dinapoli
- Radiation Oncology Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00128 Rome, Italy; (N.D.); (S.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Gianpiero Tamburrini
- Pediatric Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00128 Rome, Italy;
| | - Giorgio Attinà
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (G.A.); (A.R.); (P.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Alberto Romano
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (G.A.); (A.R.); (P.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Palma Maurizi
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (G.A.); (A.R.); (P.M.); (S.M.)
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Mastrangelo
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (G.A.); (A.R.); (P.M.); (S.M.)
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Chiesa
- Radiation Oncology Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00128 Rome, Italy; (N.D.); (S.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Maria Antonietta Gambacorta
- Radiation Oncology Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00128 Rome, Italy; (N.D.); (S.C.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Antonio Ruggiero
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (G.A.); (A.R.); (P.M.); (S.M.)
- Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo
- Clinical Psychology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00128 Rome, Italy; (A.G.); (E.M.); (L.P.); (D.P.R.C.)
- Department of Life Sciences and Public Health Department, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Çelik MY. Children With Disabilities and Their Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Difficulties Experienced. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2024; 63:18-31. [PMID: 37036089 PMCID: PMC10086815 DOI: 10.1177/00099228231167382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the difficulties experienced by disabled children and their mothers due to the necessity of being at home during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) process. The research is a qualitatively prepared phenomenological-type descriptive study. "Content analysis" was used in the analysis of the interview questions. Semi-structured interview technique was used as the data collection method. It was determined that the disabled child lost the skills he learned during the COVID-19 process; his health was adversely affected; there were disruptions in the education process; behavioral problems began; and he experienced social isolation. As a result, it can be said that both children with disabilities and mothers who care for them try to cope with many difficulties during the COVID-19 process and they are left alone and do not receive support during this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melike Yavaş Çelik
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Midwifery, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey
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Kaltenbach E, Xiong T, Thomson D, McGrath PJ. Challenges of parents with children with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disorders during COVID-19: Experiences and their impact on mental health. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY 2023; 48:77-84. [PMID: 39815860 DOI: 10.3109/13668250.2022.2096955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parents of children with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disorders are a highly burdened group that faces additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS In this study, parents of children with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disorders (N = 600) living in Canada participated in a cross-sectional online survey. RESULTS More than 96% of the parents reported facing additional challenges due to the pandemic. COVID-19-related stressors correlated with poorer mental and physical health. Parents who reported a higher amount of COVID-19-related stressors also reported more post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. DISCUSSION Resuming and implementing new services for children with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disorders and their parents will be key in alleviating the challenges for those parents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ting Xiong
- IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Canada
- Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | | | - Patrick J McGrath
- IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Canada
- Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
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Yılmaz B, Azak M, Şahin N. Mental health of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. World J Psychiatry 2021; 11:388-402. [PMID: 34327131 PMCID: PMC8311509 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i7.388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have great difficulties when their routines change, and this may affect the psychological well-being of their parents. For this reason, it is important to examine studies that address the mental health of parents in order to adapt to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. AIM To determine the mental health status of parents with children diagnosed with ASD in the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS The study, which is a systematic review, was conducted between December 15, 2020 and December 30, 2020 by scanning articles in English. The Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were used for scanning. The keywords COVID-19 AND ("autism" OR "autistic" OR "autism spectrum disorder") AND parent AND ("mental health" OR "anxiety" OR "stress") were used in the search process. The inclusion criteria in the study were findings regarding the mental health of parents with children diagnosed with ASD in the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing their anxiety and stress situations, being a research article, and accessing the full text of the article. RESULTS In the study, a total of 6389 articles were reached, and the full texts of 173 articles were evaluated for eligibility. After the articles excluded by the full-text search were eliminated, 12 studies involving 7105 parents were included in the analysis. The findings obtained from the articles containing data on mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic of parents with children with autism spectrum disorder were discussed in three groups. These were findings on the experiences of parents with children with ASD in the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the areas where parents with children with ASD need support in the COVID-19 pandemic and methods of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic for parents with children with ASD. In the systematic review, it was determined that the anxiety and stress of the parents increased, they needed more support compared to the pre-pandemic period, and they had difficulty coping. CONCLUSION In this systematic review, it was concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the mental health of the parents of children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Büşra Yılmaz
- Department of Women's Health and Gynecologic Nursing, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul 34381, Turkey
| | - Merve Azak
- Department of Pediatric Nursing, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Istanbul University- Cerrahpasa, Istanbul 34381, Turkey
| | - Nevin Şahin
- Department of Women's Health and Gynecologic Nursing, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul 34381, Turkey
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Segre G, Campi R, Scarpellini F, Clavenna A, Zanetti M, Cartabia M, Bonati M. Interviewing children: the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on children's perceived psychological distress and changes in routine. BMC Pediatr 2021; 21:231. [PMID: 33985448 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-64515/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in governments implementing disease containment measures such as school closures, social distancing, and home quarantine. To date, only a few studies have drawn attention to the psychological impact of lockdown on Italian children's mental health. The present study aimed to investigate the psychological distress (anxiety and mood symptoms) and perceived changes in routine among Italian primary and middle school students during the COVID-19 quarantine. METHODS This interview study was performed between the 18th of May and 7th of June 2020: it involved a sample of 82 children and adolescents living in Milan (Italy), attending primary and middle school (aged 6 to 14 years), and their parents. RESULTS Almost 30 % of the subjects reported having struggled to adjust to home learning. 36 responders completely changed their dietary habits during the lockdown: they were not eating the same amount of food and were consuming more junk food. Sleep habits were also affected by the lockdown measures: 28 % of the sample had difficulties sleeping and wished to sleep in their parents' bed. Concerning psychological distress, 64 (78 %) children and adolescents had anxiety symptoms; 43.9 % of the students reported significant mood symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Children are not indifferent to the dramatic impact of the COVID-19 epidemic: our data confirm their difficulties in adapting to the quarantine measures. The effects of stress exposure may not manifest later on during the children's development, and, for this reason, it would be interesting to follow up on these participants to improve our understanding of how long these outcomes may last.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Segre
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - R Campi
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - F Scarpellini
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - A Clavenna
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - M Zanetti
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - M Cartabia
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - M Bonati
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy.
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Segre G, Campi R, Scarpellini F, Clavenna A, Zanetti M, Cartabia M, Bonati M. Interviewing children: the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on children's perceived psychological distress and changes in routine. BMC Pediatr 2021; 21:231. [PMID: 33985448 PMCID: PMC8116644 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02704-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in governments implementing disease containment measures such as school closures, social distancing, and home quarantine. To date, only a few studies have drawn attention to the psychological impact of lockdown on Italian children's mental health. The present study aimed to investigate the psychological distress (anxiety and mood symptoms) and perceived changes in routine among Italian primary and middle school students during the COVID-19 quarantine. METHODS This interview study was performed between the 18th of May and 7th of June 2020: it involved a sample of 82 children and adolescents living in Milan (Italy), attending primary and middle school (aged 6 to 14 years), and their parents. RESULTS Almost 30 % of the subjects reported having struggled to adjust to home learning. 36 responders completely changed their dietary habits during the lockdown: they were not eating the same amount of food and were consuming more junk food. Sleep habits were also affected by the lockdown measures: 28 % of the sample had difficulties sleeping and wished to sleep in their parents' bed. Concerning psychological distress, 64 (78 %) children and adolescents had anxiety symptoms; 43.9 % of the students reported significant mood symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Children are not indifferent to the dramatic impact of the COVID-19 epidemic: our data confirm their difficulties in adapting to the quarantine measures. The effects of stress exposure may not manifest later on during the children's development, and, for this reason, it would be interesting to follow up on these participants to improve our understanding of how long these outcomes may last.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Segre
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - R Campi
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - F Scarpellini
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - A Clavenna
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - M Zanetti
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - M Cartabia
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - M Bonati
- Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy.
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