Background
The COVID-19 pandemic caused drastic changes in the lives of the general population. People with physical disabilities, who commonly encounter daily challenges such as barriers to community mobility, reduced access to healthcare services and higher risk of suffering from depression, may face additional challenges in the context of the pandemic.
Objective
This study aims to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated isolation and protective measures, among people with physical disabilities.
Methods
A rapid review of the published literature was conducted on August 10, 2020 through a search in six online databases to synthesize results from original studies regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with physical disabilities. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health was used to describe the population and the personal and environmental factors with a unified and standard health language.
Results
Eleven records were extracted from 1621 individual papers retrieved from the search strategy. Various impacts on daily functioning such as a decrease in access to healthcare have been noted during the pandemic. Changes in social and lifestyle habits, mood changes and decreased levels of physical activity were also noted.
Conclusions
Our results highlighted the lack of early research about the impacts of COVID-19 experienced by people with physical disabilities. Future studies should focus on specific consequences and needs of this vulnerable population to ensure their inclusion in public health recommendations and consideration by policy makers.
The relation between MPSA and child cognitive outcome seems to be present, but low. Moreover, it is affected by the specific choices made by researchers in the manner in which constructs are operationalized.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health problems in many individuals, including children. Children with pre-existing socio-demographic or developmental risk factors may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of the pandemic and associated public health preventive measures.Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis explored the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children aged 5–13 years-old, while highlighting the specific difficulties experienced by children with neurodevelopmental issues or chronic health conditions.Methods: A systematic search of the published literature was conducted in Medline, ERIC, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, followed by a quantitative meta-analysis of the eligible studies.Results: Out of the 985 articles identified, 28 empirical studies with prospective or retrospective longitudinal data were included in the quantitative synthesis. COVID-19 lockdown measures were associated with negative general mental health outcomes among children (g = 0.28, p < 0.001, and k = 21), but of small magnitude. Sleep habits were also changed during the pandemic, as sleep duration significantly increased in children (g = 0.32; p = 0.004, and k = 9). Moreover, results did not differ between children from the general population and those from clinical populations such as children with epilepsy, oncology, neurodevelopmental disorders, or obesity. Effect sizes were larger in European vs. Asian countries.Conclusions: Studies included in this review suggest that children's mental health was generally negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. More research is needed to understand the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's mental health and the influence of specific risks factors as they evolve over time.
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