Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug;65(8):760-771.
doi: 10.1111/jir.12859. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Experiences of mothers caring for a child with an intellectual disability during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands

P Embregts  1 , L Heerkens  1 , N Frielink  1 , S Giesbers  1 , L Vromans  1 , A Jahoda  2
Affiliations

Experiences of mothers caring for a child with an intellectual disability during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands

P Embregts et al. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Background: During the first COVID-19 lockdown period, various restrictions led to diminished access to both educational and professional support systems for children with an intellectual disability and their families. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and needs of parents caring for a child with an intellectual disability during the first lockdown period in the Netherlands.

Method: Five mothers caring for a child with an intellectual disability participated in this qualitative study. The participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews lasted between 26 and 48 min. The interview recordings were transcribed verbatim, and the transcripts were analysed thematically.

Results: Three overarching themes emerged: (1) We need to stay healthy, which centres on the mother's urge to protect their child's well-being; (2) We make it work, which provides insight into how the mothers were handling the drastic changes in their family; and (3) My child's and family's place in the world, which focuses on the mothers' experienced position in the world around them.

Conclusions: The current study provides valuable insights into the experiences and needs of mothers caring for a child with an intellectual disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; coronavirus; experiences; mothers with a child with an intellectual disability; pandemic.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare not to have any conflict of interest.

References

    1. Alexander R., Ravi A., Barclay H., Sawhney I., Chester V., Malcolm V. et al. (2020) Guidance for the treatment and management of COVID‐19 among people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities 17, 256–269. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Balcells‐Balcellsa A., Ginéa C., Guàrdia‐Olmos J., Summers J. A. & Masa J. M. (2019) Impact of supports and partnership on family quality of life. Research in Developmental Disability 85, 50–60. - PubMed
    1. Braun V. & Clarke V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, 77–101.
    1. Braun V. & Clarke V. (2013) Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners. SAGE Publications Ltd.
    1. Brooks S. K., Webster R. K., Smith L. E., Woodland L., Wessely S., Greenberg N. et al. (2020) The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: Rapid review of the evidence. The Lancet 395, 912–920. - PMC - PubMed