Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on parents of children with special needs’ stress in Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading over the world. Thailand is another country that has suffered greatly as a result of the pandemic. Recognizing the stress levels of parents of children with special needs will lead to appropriate support.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the stress levels of parents of children with special needs in Chiang Mai province during COVID-19.
Materials and methods: An exploratory study was conducted from August 2020 to March 2021. The study subjects comprised parents of 162 students with visual, auditory, intellectual, and physical dysfunctions. The Suanprung Stress Test (SPST-20) and a questionnaire were used to collect data. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: The results indicated that most parents of children with special needs had moderate to high stress levels, at 38.89% and 25.93%, respectively. Parents of children with hearing and visual impairments had the greatest severe stress levels of any group of parents, at 21.43% and 36.37%, respectively. Most parents (60.49%) perceived that their stress had changed from their everyday circumstances; however, 58.65 percent agreed that their stress in this situation did not affect their caring for their children.
Conclusion: Parents with children with hearing and visual impairments experienced had the greatest severe stress levels due to the pandemic. Psychotherapy and counseling that focus on mental health should be considered.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Personal views expressed by the contributors in their articles are not necessarily those of the Journal of Associated Medical Sciences, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University.
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