The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Quarantine on Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disability: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The impact of the pandemic is being very significant psychologically, especially for people who were already vulnerable in these aspects, such as adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID). A longitudinal analysis of motor aspects such as balance and gait, executive functions in daily life, severity of symptoms characteristic of autism, and degree of subjective well-being was performed in 53 adults with ASD and ID. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed and three measures were taken, the first in December 2019, the second in March 2020, and the last in July 2020. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in balance on the latter measure, along with a deterioration in well-being and ASD symptoms in the period of seclusion and an improvement in executive functions after seclusion.

Protective factors against the emotional impact of the pandemic in adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID)

“…The results obtained in this study show a correlation between aspects of social communication such as writing, leisure, and the emotional impact of the pandemic. This supports some of the previous results that had pointed to a worsening of the severity of the core symptoms of autism 5 . However, it has not been possible to demonstrate that these variables are protective nor that they explain the increase in the negative impact of the pandemic, so this causal relationship cannot be established.…”

“…The consequences on mental health in the general population have been devastating, being more severe in those affected by a previous mental disorder, such as people with ASD 1 – 4 . In a previous study involving 53 adults who also participated in this research, this group was found to be particularly vulnerable, suffering deterioration in physical variables such as balance and severity of the core symptoms of the disorder 5 .…”

“…This study aims to identify which have been the protective factors for adults with ASD and ID against the emotional impact of the pandemic, to develop intervention programs to prevent the development of negative symptomatology after periods of confinement, social isolation and health crises. For this purpose, the variables (social communication, emotional well-being and anxiety) that have previously been found to correlate with the emotional impact of the pandemic in this population 5 , 6 , 8 were studied and their causal effect was analyzed.…”