Investigation of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms and Associated Factors in Children with Cerebral Palsy in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Parents' Perceived Social Support, Depression and Corona Anxiety

Abstract

Objective: There is little research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children with cerebral palsy (CP). The primary aim of this study is to determine the level of anxiety and depression in children with CP during the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary aim is to examine the relationship between perceived social support, depression and COVID-19 anxiety levels of parents of children with CP and anxiety and depression symptoms in children with CP. Material and Methods: Data were gathered by snowball sampling method using an online survey. Depression and anxiety levels of children with CP were evaluated via Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Parent (RCADS-P). Depression, corona anxiety, and perceived social support levels of parents of children with CP were evaluated with Beck Depression Scale for Primary Care, Corona Anxiety Scale (CAS), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. The Pearson correlation test was employed to assess whether or not there was an interconnection amongst continuous variables and different independent samples under consideration. Total Anxiety Scale, Major Depressive Disorder and Total Internalizing Scale sub-dimension scores of the RCADS-P were evaluated as dependent variables according to the groups in the multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The sample covered 102 children (61, %59.8 boys) with CP and their parents (67, %65.8 mothers). Predictors of the anxiety symptoms of children with CP, in order of importance, were the parents’ corona anxiety total score (β=0.324, p=0.003) and the parents’ depression total score (β=0.266, p=0.025). Only the parent’ CAS total score predicted the depressive symptoms of children with CP (β=0.365, p=0.001). Conclusion: Coronavirus anxiety of the parents was found to be the strongest predictor of anxiety and depression symptoms in children with CP. These results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the mental health needs of both children with CP and their parents.