Abstract:
Studies on the COVID-19 pandemic highlight detrimental effects of social distancing on mental health. These effects were also observed among caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who undergo particular challenges in this context. This study aimed to identify the coping strategies adopted by caregivers of people with IDD in the period of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship to signs of mental illness. Forty-eight caregivers of people with IDD who were users of a non-governmental organization for the assistance of people with IDD and their families in southeastern Brazil undertook an on-line survey. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson\'s correlation, multiple regression, and the word cloud technique. Results indicate that most caregivers employed healthy coping strategies and used negative words to describe their feelings towards the pandemic. Confrontation, withdrawal, self-control, social support, acceptance, and escape correlated with psychological symptoms (stress, depression, or loneliness). Those symptoms were more prevalent among participants using escape as a coping strategy. These findings indicate that caregivers of people with National Deworming Day (NDD) used mostly positive coping strategies to face the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have contributed to the low prevalence of psychological burden in this population.
摘要:
关于COVID-19大流行的研究强调了社交距离对心理健康的有害影响。在智力和发育障碍(IDD)患者的照顾者中也观察到这些影响,他们在这方面面临着特殊的挑战。这项研究旨在确定在COVID-19大流行期间,IDD患者的照顾者在社会隔离期间采取的应对策略及其与精神疾病症状的关系。巴西东南部一个非政府组织帮助缺碘症患者及其家人的48名缺碘症患者护理人员进行了一项在线调查。数据分析包括描述性统计,皮尔森的相关性,多元回归,和词云技术。结果表明,大多数护理人员采用健康的应对策略,并使用负面词来描述他们对流行病的感受。对抗,撤回,自我控制,社会支持,接受,和逃避与心理症状相关(压力,抑郁症,或孤独)。这些症状在使用逃避作为应对策略的参与者中更为普遍。这些结果表明,国家驱虫日(NDD)患者的照顾者大多使用积极的应对策略来应对COVID-19大流行,这可能导致了该人群心理负担的低患病率。