Anxiety and worries of individuals with Down Syndrome during the COVID‑19 pandemic: A comparative study in the UK
Sideropoulos, Vassilis
ORCID
Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
Kye, H.Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK
Samson, Andrea C.
ORCID
Institute of Special Education, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. Faculty of Psychology, UniDistance Suisse, Brig, Switzerland
English
The present study explored the effects of the pandemic on individuals with Down Syndrome (DS; n = 67) compared to other groups with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND; n = 48) and their Typically Developing Siblings (TDS; n = 56). In total, 115 caregivers reported on their own anxiety and worries and of their children. Anxiety levels for individuals with DS appeared to be lower compared to other SEND populations and to TDS. In terms of worries, individuals with DS worried more about social-related worries but worried less about family-related aspects compared to the other groups. In sum, individuals with DS might show less anxiety but still worried more about specific aspects related to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their lives.