Autistic characteristics and mental health symptoms in autistic youth during the first COVID-19 wave in Canada.

Autor: Turner KM; Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada., Weiss JA; Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada., Howe SJ; Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada., Sanguino H; Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada., Kerns CM; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada., Ames ME; Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada., McMorris CA; Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research [Autism Res] 2023 May; Vol. 16 (5), pp. 1009-1023. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 14.
DOI: 10.1002/aur.2914
Abstrakt: Autistic youth are at heightened risk for mental health issues, and pandemic-related stressors may exacerbate this risk. This study (1) described caregiver-reported youth mental health prior to and during the pandemic; and (2) explored individual, caregiver, and environmental factors associated with changes in autistic characteristics, social-emotional symptoms, and overall mental health. 582 caregivers of autistic children (2-18 years old) completed an online survey between June and July 2020 in which they provided demographic information, their child's pre-COVID and current mental health, autistic characteristics, and social-emotional symptoms. Caregivers also rated their own perceived stress, and COVID-related household and service disruption. According to caregivers, youth experienced more autistic characteristics and social-emotional concerns during the pandemic. Autistic youth were also reported to experience poorer overall mental health during the pandemic than before the pandemic. Older youth whose caregiver's indicated higher perceived stress and greater household disruption were reported to experience more autistic traits during pandemic. Caregiver-reported increases in youth social-emotional symptoms (i.e., behavior problems, anxiety, and low mood) was associated with being older, the presence of a pre-existing mental health condition, higher caregiver stress, and greater household and service disruption. Finally, experiencing less household financial hardship prior to COVID-19, absence of a pre-existing psychiatric condition, less caregiver stress, and less service disruption were associated with better youth pandemic mental health. Strategies to support the autistic community during and following the pandemic need to be developed. The developmental-ecological factors identified in this study could help target support strategies to those autistic youth who are most vulnerable to mental health problems.
(© 2023 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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