The COVID-19 Pandemic Experience of Families With Children With Developmental Disorders in Northeastern Germany.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Neuropediatrics, Center for Children and Adolescents, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
- 2Department of Neuropediatrics and Social Pediatric Center, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
- 3German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), Partner Site Greifswald/Rostock, Greifswald, Germany.
- 4Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Leipzig University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany.
- 5Drug Safety Center, Leipzig University and Leipzig University Hospital, and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Abstract
Background
Developmental disorders are associated with considerable challenges for affected children and their families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, families faced additional stress, including challenging decisions regarding COVID-19 vaccination for their children. This exploratory study therefore examined the experiences of families with children with developmental disorders during the pandemic and their attitudes towards vaccination, including the perceived benefits and disadvantages of their decision.Methods
This exploratory study was conducted from April to June 2022 at a university hospital in Northeastern Germany. The semi-structured interviews included open and closed questions, as well as 5-point Likert scales.Results
We interviewed 65 parents of children aged 3-17 years (median age: 6; Q25/Q75: 4/11). Among them, 69% reported a negative impact on their child, most frequently emotional and behavioural changes (45%), followed by developmental and educational setbacks (26%) and social and communication difficulties (14%). Seventy-three percent of parents perceived the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the parent-child interaction as very, rather or partly burdensome. Governmental support was judged as 'not adequate' or 'rather not adequate' by 64% of parents. Among the 44 children eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, 59% were not vaccinated. Fear of adverse events was the main reason against vaccination (81%), whereas fear of COVID-19 infection was the main motivation for those who chose to vaccinate (89%). Vaccination was associated with perceived benefits in daily life, whereas nonvaccination was associated with reduced participation and increased infection-related worries.Conclusions
Most parents of children with developmental disorders perceived negative effects of the pandemic on the lives of their child and themselves. Among children eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, more than half of the parents decided against vaccination, despite reported benefits of vaccination and reported disadvantages associated with nonvaccination. Future research is needed to develop tailored vaccination campaigns and safety-focused communication strategies for children with developmental disorders.
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BibTeX
@article{martin2026covid19,
title = {{The COVID-19 Pandemic Experience of Families With Children With Developmental Disorders in Northeastern Germany.}},
author = {Teresa Vela Martín and Martina P Neininger and Gudrun E Krause and Thilo Bertsche and Astrid Bertsche and Sarah Jeschke},
journal = {Child: care, health and development},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1111/cch.70370},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42974901},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The COVID-19 Pandemic Experience of Families With Children With Developmental Disorders in Northeastern Germany.
AU - Teresa Vela Martín
AU - Martina P Neininger
AU - Gudrun E Krause
AU - Thilo Bertsche
AU - Astrid Bertsche
AU - Sarah Jeschke
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
JO - Child: care, health and development
DO - 10.1111/cch.70370
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42974901
AB - Background Developmental disorders are associated with considerable challenges for affected children and their families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, families faced additional stress, including challenging decisions regarding COVID-19 vaccination for their children. This exploratory study therefore examined the experiences of families with children with developmental disorders during the pandemic and their attitudes towards vaccination, including the perceived benefits and disadvantages of their decision.Methods This exploratory study was conducted from April to June 2022 at a university hospital in Northeastern Germany. The semi-structured interviews included open and closed questions, as well as 5-point Likert scales.Results We interviewed 65 parents of children aged 3-17 years (median age: 6; Q25/Q75: 4/11). Among them, 69% reported a negative impact on their child, most frequently emotional and behavioural changes (45%), followed by developmental and educational setbacks (26%) and social and communication difficulties (14%). Seventy-three percent of parents perceived the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the parent-child interaction as very, rather or partly burdensome. Governmental support was judged as 'not adequate' or 'rather not adequate' by 64% of parents. Among the 44 children eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, 59% were not vaccinated. Fear of adverse events was the main reason against vaccination (81%), whereas fear of COVID-19 infection was the main motivation for those who chose to vaccinate (89%). Vaccination was associated with perceived benefits in daily life, whereas nonvaccination was associated with reduced participation and increased infection-related worries.Conclusions Most parents of children with developmental disorders perceived negative effects of the pandemic on the lives of their child and themselves. Among children eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, more than half of the parents decided against vaccination, despite reported benefits of vaccination and reported disadvantages associated with nonvaccination. Future research is needed to develop tailored vaccination campaigns and safety-focused communication strategies for children with developmental disorders.
SN - 0305-1862
SN - 1365-2214
ER -