COVID-19 pandemisi döneminde özel gereksinimli çocuk sahibi annelerin kaygı düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Giriş ve Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında özel gereksinimli çocuk sahibi annelerin durumluk ve sürekli kaygı düzeylerini değerlendirmek ve sağlıklı çocukları olan annelerle karşılaştırarak farklılıkları ortaya koymaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Olgu-kontrol tipinde tasarlanan bu araştırmaya, İstanbul’da yaşayan ve çocukları rehabilitasyon merkezine devam eden özel gereksinimli çocuk anneleri (n=89) ile sağlıklı çocuk sahibi annelerden oluşan kontrol grubu (n=75) dahil edilmiştir. Veriler yüz yüze anket yöntemiyle toplanmış; katılımcıların sosyodemografik özelliklerinin yanı sıra Durumluk-Sürekli Anksiyete Envanteri uygulanmıştır. Ölçeklerin güvenirlik analizinde Cronbach’s alfa katsayıları hesaplanmış, gruplar arası karşılaştırmalar Mann-Whitney U testi ile yapılmıştır. Ayrıca ikili lojistik regresyon ve ROC analizi uygulanarak ölçeklerin ayırt edici gücü değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular ve Sonuç: Olgu ve kontrol gruplarının sosyodemografik özellikleri arasında anlamlı bir farklılık saptanmadı (p>0,05). Kullanılan ölçeklerin iç tutarlılığı oldukça yüksek bulundu (Cronbach’s α: 0,970 ve 0,967). Gruplar arasında durumluk kaygı düzeyleri açısından anlamlı fark görülmezken (p=0,512), sürekli kaygı düzeyleri özel gereksinimli çocuk sahibi annelerde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı biçimde yüksek bulundu (p<0,001). Lojistik regresyon analizine göre sürekli kaygı ölçeğinde her bir puanlık artış, olgu grubunda yer alma olasılığını %11,5 artırdığı bulundu (OR=1,115; %95 GA: 1,062–1,171). ROC analizi ise sürekli kaygı ölçeğinin orta düzeyde ayırt edici güce sahip olduğunu gösterdi (AUC=0,698). COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında özel gereksinimli çocuk sahibi annelerin sürekli kaygı düzeyleri, sağlıklı çocuk sahibi annelere göre anlamlı derecede yüksektir. Bu bulgu, kronik bakım sorumluluğunun annelerin kaygı düzeylerini kalıcı olarak artırdığını göstermektedir. Sonuçlar, bu gruba yönelik psikososyal destek programlarının geliştirilmesinin önemini vurgulamaktadır. Kaynakça: Adams, E. L., Smith, D., Caccavale, L. J., & Bean, M. K. (2021). Parents Are Stressed! Patterns of Parent Stress Across COVID-19. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, 626456. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.626456 Aslan, R. (2020). Tarihten Günümüze Epidemiler, Pandemiler ve Covid-19. Göller Bölgesi Aylık Ekonomi ve Kültür Dergisi, 8 (85), 35-41. Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet, 395(10227), 912–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8 Du, X., Sun, L., & Dong, Q. (2024). A family perspective for the mechanism of parent-child conflict on maternal anxiety in Chinese children with autism. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 286. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01786-7 Ergenekon, A. P., Yilmaz Yegit, C., Cenk, M., Bas Ikizoglu, N., Atag, E., Gokdemir, Y., Erdem Eralp, E., & Karadag, B. (2021). Depression and anxiety in mothers of home ventilated children before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatric pulmonology, 56(1), 264–270. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.25107 Grumeth, A. M., Rothenhäusler, H.-B., Mörkl, S., Wagner-Skacel, J., Sciri, E., & Baranyi, A. (2025). Biopsychosocial impact of high levels of trait anxiety on family caregivers in the end-of-life palliative care setting. PLOS ONE, 20(3), e0307349. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307349 Guillén-Riquelme, A., & Buela-Casal, G. (2014). Meta-analysis of group comparison and meta-analysis of reliability generalization of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire (STAI). Revista Española de Salud Pública, 88(1), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.4321/S1135-57272014000100007 Knowles, K. A., & Olatunji, B. O. (2020). Specificity of trait anxiety in anxiety and depression: Meta-analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Clinical psychology review, 82, 101928. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101928 Mahoney, A. B., Akard, T. F., Cowfer, B. A., Dietrich, M. S., Newton, J. L., & Gilmer, M. J. (2024). Impact of animal-assisted interaction on anxiety in children with advanced cancer and their caregivers. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 27(1), 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2023.0091 Neece, C., McIntyre, L. L., & Fenning, R. (2020). Examining the impact of COVID-19 in ethnically diverse families with young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 64(10), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12769 Jimenez, R. T., Zuniga-Hernandez, M., Suen, M. Y., Feng, R., Pinedo, K., Arshad, F., Collins, F., Ganesan, A., Jackson, C., Wang, E. Y., Rodriguez, S. T., & Caruso, T. J. (2025). Culturally sensitive treatment of caregiver anxiety with virtual reality: A prospective, pragmatic, randomized study. Journal of Patient Experience, 12, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735251326671 Oner, N., & Le Compte, A. (1985). Durumluk-Sürekli kaygı envanteri elkitabı, 20. Basım. Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları. Özgüven, İ., E. (2015). Psikolojik Testler, 13. Baskı. Nobel Yayınevi. Rogulj, M., Vukojevic, K., Bruzzese, J. M., & Lusic Kalcina, L. (2023). Anxiety among pediatric asthma patients and their parents and quick-reliever medication use: The role of physical activity parenting behaviours. World Allergy Organization Journal, 16(1), 100733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2022.100733 Spielberger, C.,D, Gorsuch, R.,L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P.,R, & Jacobs, G.,A, (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. Spinelli, M., Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., & Fasolo, M. (2020). Parents' Stress and Children's Psychological Problems in Families Facing the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1713. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01713 Tomak, L., Sari, M. E., Cavus, S., & Bodur, H. Z. (2022). Investigation of the factor structure of the Turkish version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Anatolian Clinic Journal of Medical Sciences, 27(1), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.21673/anadoluklin.889735 Üstün, Ç., & Özçiftçi, S., (2020). COVID-19 Pandemisinin Sosyal Yaşam Ve Etik Düzlem Üzerine Etkileri: Bir Değerlendirme Çalışması. Anadolu Kliniği Tıp Bilimleri Dergisi, 25 (Special on COVID 19), 142– 153. Verikios, G., Sullivan, M., Stojanovski, P., Giesecke, J., Woo, G. (2015). Assessing Regional Risks From Pandemic Influenza: A Scenario Analysis. The World Economy, 39(8), 1225-1255. https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.12296 Yurdakul, E., S. (2015). Tarihte Önemli Bulaşıcı Hastalık Salgınları. Turkiye Klinikleri Public Health Special Topics, 1(3), 1-6.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19
• bakım veren
• kaygı
• özel gereksinimli çocuk

Assessment of anxiety levels in mothers of children with special needs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Öz

Objective and aim: The aim of this study was to examine the state and trait anxiety levels of mothers with children with special needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare them with mothers of healthy children. Materials and Methods: This analytic case-control study included 89 mothers of children with special needs attending rehabilitation centers in Istanbul and 75 mothers of healthy children as controls. Data were collected through face-to-face questionnaires consisting of sociodemographic questions and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Reliability of the scales was evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha, group comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and binary logistic regression and ROC analyses were applied. Results and Conclusion: No significant differences were observed between the groups in sociodemographic variables (p>0.05). The scales showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.970 and 0.967). State anxiety levels did not differ significantly between groups (p=0.512). In contrast, trait anxiety levels were significantly higher in mothers of children with special needs (p<0.001). Logistic regression revealed that each one-point increase in trait anxiety was associated with an 11.5% higher likelihood of being in the case group (OR=1.115; 95% CI: 1.062–1.171). Mothers of children with special needs had higher trait anxiety compared to mothers of healthy children, indicating the long-term impact of chronic caregiving burden. These findings highlight the need for psychosocial support interventions targeting this vulnerable group, especially in crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaynakça: Adams, E. L., Smith, D., Caccavale, L. J., & Bean, M. K. (2021). Parents Are Stressed! Patterns of Parent Stress Across COVID-19. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, 626456. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.626456 Aslan, R. (2020). Tarihten Günümüze Epidemiler, Pandemiler ve Covid-19. Göller Bölgesi Aylık Ekonomi ve Kültür Dergisi, 8 (85), 35-41. Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet, 395(10227), 912–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8 Du, X., Sun, L., & Dong, Q. (2024). A family perspective for the mechanism of parent-child conflict on maternal anxiety in Chinese children with autism. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 286. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01786-7 Ergenekon, A. P., Yilmaz Yegit, C., Cenk, M., Bas Ikizoglu, N., Atag, E., Gokdemir, Y., Erdem Eralp, E., & Karadag, B. (2021). Depression and anxiety in mothers of home ventilated children before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatric pulmonology, 56(1), 264–270. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.25107 Grumeth, A. M., Rothenhäusler, H.-B., Mörkl, S., Wagner-Skacel, J., Sciri, E., & Baranyi, A. (2025). Biopsychosocial impact of high levels of trait anxiety on family caregivers in the end-of-life palliative care setting. PLOS ONE, 20(3), e0307349. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307349 Guillén-Riquelme, A., & Buela-Casal, G. (2014). Meta-analysis of group comparison and meta-analysis of reliability generalization of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire (STAI). Revista Española de Salud Pública, 88(1), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.4321/S1135-57272014000100007 Knowles, K. A., & Olatunji, B. O. (2020). Specificity of trait anxiety in anxiety and depression: Meta-analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Clinical psychology review, 82, 101928. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101928 Mahoney, A. B., Akard, T. F., Cowfer, B. A., Dietrich, M. S., Newton, J. L., & Gilmer, M. J. (2024). Impact of animal-assisted interaction on anxiety in children with advanced cancer and their caregivers. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 27(1), 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2023.0091 Neece, C., McIntyre, L. L., & Fenning, R. (2020). Examining the impact of COVID-19 in ethnically diverse families with young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 64(10), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12769 Jimenez, R. T., Zuniga-Hernandez, M., Suen, M. Y., Feng, R., Pinedo, K., Arshad, F., Collins, F., Ganesan, A., Jackson, C., Wang, E. Y., Rodriguez, S. T., & Caruso, T. J. (2025). Culturally sensitive treatment of caregiver anxiety with virtual reality: A prospective, pragmatic, randomized study. Journal of Patient Experience, 12, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735251326671 Oner, N., & Le Compte, A. (1985). Durumluk-Sürekli kaygı envanteri elkitabı, 20. Basım. Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları. Özgüven, İ., E. (2015). Psikolojik Testler, 13. Baskı. Nobel Yayınevi. Rogulj, M., Vukojevic, K., Bruzzese, J. M., & Lusic Kalcina, L. (2023). Anxiety among pediatric asthma patients and their parents and quick-reliever medication use: The role of physical activity parenting behaviours. World Allergy Organization Journal, 16(1), 100733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2022.100733 Spielberger, C.,D, Gorsuch, R.,L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P.,R, & Jacobs, G.,A, (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. Spinelli, M., Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., & Fasolo, M. (2020). Parents' Stress and Children's Psychological Problems in Families Facing the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1713. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01713 Tomak, L., Sari, M. E., Cavus, S., & Bodur, H. Z. (2022). Investigation of the factor structure of the Turkish version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Anatolian Clinic Journal of Medical Sciences, 27(1), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.21673/anadoluklin.889735 Üstün, Ç., & Özçiftçi, S., (2020). COVID-19 Pandemisinin Sosyal Yaşam Ve Etik Düzlem Üzerine Etkileri: Bir Değerlendirme Çalışması. Anadolu Kliniği Tıp Bilimleri Dergisi, 25 (Special on COVID 19), 142– 153. Verikios, G., Sullivan, M., Stojanovski, P., Giesecke, J., Woo, G. (2015). Assessing Regional Risks From Pandemic Influenza: A Scenario Analysis. The World Economy, 39(8), 1225-1255. https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.12296 Yurdakul, E., S. (2015). Tarihte Önemli Bulaşıcı Hastalık Salgınları. Turkiye Klinikleri Public Health Special Topics, 1(3), 1-6.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19
• caregivers
• anxiety
• children with disabilities

Kaynakça

1. Adams, E. L., Smith, D., Caccavale, L. J., & Bean, M. K. (2021). Parents Are Stressed! Patterns of Parent Stress Across COVID-19. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, 626456. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.626456
2. Aslan, R. (2020). Tarihten Günümüze Epidemiler, Pandemiler ve Covid-19. Göller Bölgesi Aylık Ekonomi ve Kültür Dergisi, 8 (85), 35-41.
3. Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet, 395(10227), 912–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8
4. Du, X., Sun, L., & Dong, Q. (2024). A family perspective for the mechanism of parent-child conflict on maternal anxiety in Chinese children with autism. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 286. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01786-7
5. Ergenekon, A. P., Yilmaz Yegit, C., Cenk, M., Bas Ikizoglu, N., Atag, E., Gokdemir, Y., Erdem Eralp, E., & Karadag, B. (2021). Depression and anxiety in mothers of home ventilated children before and during COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatric pulmonology, 56(1), 264–270. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.25107
6. Grumeth, A. M., Rothenhäusler, H.-B., Mörkl, S., Wagner-Skacel, J., Sciri, E., & Baranyi, A. (2025). Biopsychosocial impact of high levels of trait anxiety on family caregivers in the end-of-life palliative care setting. PLOS ONE, 20(3), e0307349. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307349
7. Guillén-Riquelme, A., & Buela-Casal, G. (2014). Meta-analysis of group comparison and meta-analysis of reliability generalization of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire (STAI). Revista Española de Salud Pública, 88(1), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.4321/S1135-57272014000100007
8. Knowles, K. A., & Olatunji, B. O. (2020). Specificity of trait anxiety in anxiety and depression: Meta-analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Clinical psychology review, 82, 101928. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101928

9. Mahoney, A. B., Akard, T. F., Cowfer, B. A., Dietrich, M. S., Newton, J. L., & Gilmer, M. J. (2024). Impact of animal-assisted interaction on anxiety in children with advanced cancer and their caregivers. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 27(1), 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2023.0091
10. Neece, C., McIntyre, L. L., & Fenning, R. (2020). Examining the impact of COVID-19 in ethnically diverse families with young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 64(10), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12769
11. Jimenez, R. T., Zuniga-Hernandez, M., Suen, M. Y., Feng, R., Pinedo, K., Arshad, F., Collins, F., Ganesan, A., Jackson, C., Wang, E. Y., Rodriguez, S. T., & Caruso, T. J. (2025). Culturally sensitive treatment of caregiver anxiety with virtual reality: A prospective, pragmatic, randomized study. Journal of Patient Experience, 12, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735251326671
12. Oner, N., & Le Compte, A. (1985). Durumluk-Sürekli kaygı envanteri elkitabı, 20. Basım. Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları.
13. Özgüven, İ., E. (2015). Psikolojik Testler, 13. Baskı. Nobel Yayınevi.
14. Rogulj, M., Vukojevic, K., Bruzzese, J. M., & Lusic Kalcina, L. (2023). Anxiety among pediatric asthma patients and their parents and quick-reliever medication use: The role of physical activity parenting behaviours. World Allergy Organization Journal, 16(1), 100733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2022.100733
15. Spielberger, C.,D, Gorsuch, R.,L., Lushene, R., Vagg, P.,R, & Jacobs, G.,A, (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
16. Spinelli, M., Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., & Fasolo, M. (2020). Parents' Stress and Children's Psychological Problems in Families Facing the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1713. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01713
17. Tomak, L., Sari, M. E., Cavus, S., & Bodur, H. Z. (2022). Investigation of the factor structure of the Turkish version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Anatolian Clinic Journal of Medical Sciences, 27(1), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.21673/anadoluklin.889735
18. Üstün, Ç., & Özçiftçi, S., (2020). COVID-19 Pandemisinin Sosyal Yaşam Ve Etik Düzlem Üzerine Etkileri: Bir Değerlendirme Çalışması. Anadolu Kliniği Tıp Bilimleri Dergisi, 25 (Special on COVID 19), 142– 153.
19. Verikios, G., Sullivan, M., Stojanovski, P., Giesecke, J., Woo, G. (2015). Assessing Regional Risks From Pandemic Influenza: A Scenario Analysis. The World Economy, 39(8), 1225-1255. https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.12296
20. Yurdakul, E., S. (2015). Tarihte Önemli Bulaşıcı Hastalık Salgınları. Turkiye Klinikleri Public Health Special Topics, 1(3), 1-6.