COVID-19: Impact of social isolation on mental health of mothers of children with autism

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the impact of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methodology: A qualitative research was conducted with 15 mothers of schoolchildren with ASD, attended at a public university in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The participants were interviewed online from May to August 2021. The speeches were analyzed by content analysis, with two thematic cores: pandemic COVID-19 and mental health. Results: Mothers reported feelings of stress, insecurity and fear related to the difficulties of their child with ASD to follow the safety measures against the disease (mask use, hand sanitization, habit of putting objects in the mouth) and to follow the online classes. Due to the restrictive measures to control the pandemic, rehabilitative treatments (such as speech therapy and psychotherapy sessions), which were part of most children's routine, were suspended. At home, mothers developed skills with activities related to the therapeutic treatments that their children underwent before the pandemic. Conclusion: Social isolation was a challenging time for the mothers, who began to follow and perform the remote teaching and therapy activities with the children. There was an overload of work for the mothers. The routine of caring for the child with ASD led the mothers to an increase of physical and emotional fatigue, with depressive and stress pictures.