The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adults With Autism: A Survey Study Across Three Countries

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious studies have reported a negative psychological and mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This impact is likely to be stronger for people with autism as they are at heightened risk of mental health problems and because the pandemic directly affects social functioning and everyday routines. We therefore examined COVID-19-related changes in mental health, the impact of the pandemic on their social life and routines, satisfaction with pandemic-related information and tips, and participants’ wishes for guidance. MethodsWe used a mixed-method approach, collecting quantitative and qualitative survey data from adults with and without autism across three European countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (N = 1044). ResultsWe found an increase in depression and anxiety symptoms in response to the pandemic for both the non-autism and the autism group, which was greater for adults with autism. Furthermore, adults with autism showed a greater increase in worries about their pets, work, getting medication and food, and their own safety/security. They felt more relieved from social stress, yet experienced the loss of social contact as difficult. Adults with autism also felt more stressed about the loss of routines. Pleasant changes noted by adults with autism were the increase in solidarity and reduced sensory and social overload. Adults with autism frequently reported problems with cancellation of guidance due to the pandemic and expressed their wish for (more) autism-specific information and advice. LimitationsOur sample is likely to reflect some degree of selection bias, and longitudinal studies are needed to determine long-term effects. ConclusionsResults highlight the psychological burden of the pandemic on adults with autism and shed light on how to support them during this COVID-19 pandemic, which is especially important now that the pandemic is likely to have a prolonged course. There is a need for accessible, affordable (continued) support from health services. Guidance may focus on the maintenance of a social network, and adjusting routines to the rapid ongoing changes. Finally, we may learn from the COVID-19-related changes experienced as pleasant by adults with autism to build a more autism-friendly society post-pandemic.

Covid-19 Impact on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability: Study in Saudi Arabia

“…The psychological pressure was not only limited to the material burdens but this pressure extended to fear and anxiety for their children, the psychological and behavioral aspects of them, which have begun to deteriorate with the extension of the Corona pandemic, which affected the parents' sense of fear and anxiety. This result is in agreement with the studies of Amorim et al (2020); Abdelfattah et al (2021); Agwa and Elmasry (2021); Huang et al (2021); Oomen et al, (2021) and Munir et al (2021).…”

“…This result may be interpreted according to the researcher's point of view to depriving the child of going out and going to rehabilitation centers and developing his skills as a result of the Corona pandemic has a negative impact on the psychological state of the child such as his feeling of frustration and the increase or decrease in eating. This finding is congruent withAmorim et al (2020);Huang et al (2021);Oomen et al, (2021) andMunir et al (2021), but disagrees with the study ofAgwa and Elmasry (2021).…”

“…As a result, there is insufficient understanding of the impacts on families with children who have intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder challenges. When compared to the general public, existing evidence in the world setting argues that COVID-19 has greater detrimental effect on parents of a child with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (Amorim et al, 2020;Courtenay & Perera, 2020;Agwa & Elmasry, 2021;Baweja et al, 2021;Chandolias et al, 2021;Huang et al, 2021;Munir, Rubaca, Munir & Munir, 2021;Oakley et al, 2021;Oomen, Nijhof & Wiersema, 2021). Children's parents with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder have new issues in addition to those faced by the general public as a result of the epidemic (Abdelfattah et al, 2021).…”

“…The Psychological State of the Child: There is no doubt that the period of banning people from the home due to the Corona epidemic has negatively affected all children, whether with disabilities, as a result of depriving them of the routine of practicing their normal lives and all the activities that they were doing outside the home (Oomen et al, 2021). The sudden change of the child when he stops going to school or the center, and then the issue of his education or treatment has stopped, it is known that these children need individual, legalized intervention tailored to each child according to his needs, and it is not appropriate for him to receive visual and audible information from a distance, but rather he needs the presence of a person with him continuously (Agwa & Elmasry, 2021).…”

COVID-19 and UK family carers: policy implications

“…However, for specific groups (eg, people with autism spectrum disorder) who depend on routines, consistency, predictability, and familiarity to function optimally in their environments, the effect of these changes on their behaviours and wellbeing and the direct and indirect implications for the wellbeing and needs of informal carers, have not been fully considered. 41,42 For example, it is known that lockdown restrictions on educational access and specialist learning provision, and the cessation of communitybased resources (eg, swimming and soft play), which are essential for families in managing the daily and unique challenges of their caregiving role, have left many families feeling desperate and isolated. 43,44 Sources of support (eg, child care, individual help, and educational provision) that parents might have used before the pandemic, and that supported their efforts in managing the effect of their child's complex needs on their wellbeing, have largely disappeared.…”