To read this content please select one of the options below:

Effects of COVID-19 related restrictive measures on parents of children with developmental difficulties

Lana Lučić (Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia)
Tihana Brkljačić (Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia)
Andreja Brajša-Žganec (Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia)

Journal of Children's Services

ISSN: 1746-6660

Article publication date: 5 November 2020

Issue publication date: 15 December 2020

960

Abstract

Purpose

Social distancing and school closures have changed the lives of many parents around the globe. In addition to these problems, parents of children with developmental difficulties (DD) have faced additional stressors that make them even more susceptible to higher stress levels and the onset or worsening of anxiety or depression. Consequentially, these stressors may have an indirect effect on parental functioning and children with DD owing to the spillover effect.

Design/methodology/approach

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to parents of children with DD through an overview of possible additional stressors that have appeared during the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia. In writing this viewpoint paper, three sources were consulted: official state documents, communication with professionals (e.g. speech therapists) and online support groups for parents of children with DD.

Findings

Restrictive measures during the lockdown led to a lack of both formal and informal support for parents of children with DD. Moreover, the possibility of infection led to higher levels of fear among these parents; children with DD also encountered problems coping with both the restrictive measures and the demands of distance learning.

Practical implications

This paper may present a good starting point for both governments and NGOs when discussing and planning further advancement in the quality of response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a “recovery” response after the crisis. This overview may provide better insight into COVID-19–related consequences among parents of children with DD, which is vital to increasing the effectiveness of future measures and actions.

Originality/value

Although some negative effects of the pandemic on children have already been discussed by several authors, little attention has been paid to parents, and even less so to parents of children with DD. This paper may even represent a pioneering work in exploring the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population group.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was fully supported by Croatian Science Foundation under the project Child well-being in family context (HRZZ-IP-2019-04-6198).

Citation

Lučić, L., Brkljačić, T. and Brajša-Žganec, A. (2020), "Effects of COVID-19 related restrictive measures on parents of children with developmental difficulties", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 229-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-07-2020-0041

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles