Autism Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Covid-19 Outbreak
Condition: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
MeSH terms: COVID-19; Hyperkinesis; Autistic Disorder; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) outbreak, the home confinement of the
      population ordered by governments in many countries raise questions about its impact on
      individuals' physical and mental health in the short and longer term. In children, reduced
      physical activity, changes in lifestyle, disturbances in sleep patterns, lack of in-person
      contact with peers, poor or inadequate understanding of health risks may be risk factors of
      anxiety, stress, fatigue, sleep disorders. These problematic effects could be modulated by
      social factors (housing in urban or rural areas, availability of personal space at home,
      parenting stress, etc.).
    

Detailed description: 
      Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or hyperactive children (ADHD) usually have
      behavioral and emotional difficulties. The disorders they suffer from, which considerably
      disturb family life, the therapies they benefit from, which help to organize and structure
      their daily lives, make them a coherent study group whose observation during home confinement
      is particularly relevant. Therefore, it is especially interesting to explore the impact of
      quarantine on the evolution of clinical symptoms and family dynamic.

      There is little evidence about the impact of prolonged confinement in these children. The
      first clinical observations, at the beginning of confinement, reported various situations.
      Some children showed marked emotional disturbances, whereas others seem to be happy with less
      social pressure. For ASDs, the ritualization can be a stabilizing factor. For ADHDs, the
      decrease in school pressure is undoubtedly a positive factor. The availability of parents to
      create a suitable environment could play a major role. In all cases, changes in care
      management (teleconsultations for most of them), disruption in routines and lack of points of
      reference, adjustment in parenting and caring for children for the parents (with difficulties
      that could increase with prolonged duration of confinement), could have serious long-term
      effects, but also create opportunities.

      So, the present study aim to document the experience of home confinement in children and
      adolescents with ASD and/or ADHD quarantined because of covid-19 outbreak in various
      socio-cultural contexts. The experiences reported by the children, their parents and their
      caregivers will help understand the psychological impact of quarantine.
    

Intervention name(s): Interview by psychologists
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Interviews for children / teenagers and parents :
The questions encourage a narrative
Repeated interviews: during confinement, at the end of confinement, and 3 months after the end of confinement
Interviews carried out by videoconference, by trained psychologists not involved in the care process
Interview for referring caregivers: a single interview of approximately 45 minutes, 3 months post-confinement
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: home confinement; Covid-19; qualitative research; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder