Given the dependence on other people and special services, and their increased susceptibility to COVID-19 infection, people with disabilities can be considered a vulnerable group in this crisis. Therefore, it was interesting to examine the differences in various emotional states in people with disabilities. Objectives. The first objective was to determine whether there was a difference between the experienced emotional states (loneliness, helplessness, insecurity, happiness, fulfillment, security) before and since the beginning of the pandemic. The second objective was to examine whether there was a difference between the experienced emotional states in relation to the number of household members. Methods. The study included a total of 230 participants, 52.2% of whom were male and 47.8% female. Data were collected through an online survey, and a small percentage of participants used the paper-pencil survey method. Data collection lasted for two months, from January to March 2021. A part of the online form contained questions about emotional states before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the number of household members. Results. The t-test for dependent samples and a series of ANOVA were conducted. The results of the conducted t-tests for each emotional state indicated a statistically significant difference in the level of experience of each observed emotional state before and since the beginning of the pandemic. The results of the ANOVA showed that those who lived with three or more household members felt less lonely, insecure and helpless, and also happier and more fulfilled compared to those who lived alone or with one or two people. Conclusion. Our role is to think, devise, advocate and implement ways to improve and encourage mental health care, especially in people with disabilities, bearing in mind possible future crisis situations.

Introduction. Parents of children with developmental disabilities receive many different forms of support, including formal support provided by professionals from different systems. Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in expectations of the type of formal support by parents of children with developmental disabilities with regard to their sociodemographic characteristics. Methodology. In total, 152 parents participated in the study, out of which 63.8% were female and 36.2% were male. The participants' average age was 38 years. Data was collected using a questionnaire specifically designed for the purpose of this study, which is a component of a large-scale research study on early support provided to children with developmental disabilities and their parents. The first part of the questionnaire concerns sociodemographic characteristics, while the second part deals with the parents' expectations of the type of formal support. Results. The results of this study show that there is a statistically significant difference in the expectations of the type of formal support by the parents of children with developmental disabilities with regard to two sociodemographic characteristics, namely the self-evaluated financial wellbeing and the level of education. Conclusion. This study shows that parents with higher levels of education and better financial wellbeing have different expectations of the type of formal support than parents with lower levels of education and lower income. These differences should be, therefore, taken into account during the processes of planning and providing support.