Lockdown in France: Impact on Families of Young Children With Special Needs

International audienceBackground Families with young children have faced serious challenges during the first lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to remote working, parents have had to monitor their children’s schoolwork and manage their daily lives. When one of the children also has neuro-developmental disorders, this results in an increased burden. We can therefore wonder how these families with one or more young children (under 6 years old) with special needs have experienced and dealt with this lockdown. Aim of the Study In this context, the “COVJEUNENFANT” study focused more specifically on the subjective experience, as a parent, of those who cared for children with special needs (i.e., with developmental disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, proven disabilities or chronic health conditions) compared to the general population. We wished to see if the consequences of the health crisis were significantly different from those perceived by respondents in the general population ( n = 490) and if the sociodemographic structure of these families differed from those of other respondents. Methods Ninety three French families with at least one child under 6 years old and one with developmental difficulties or a chronic illness, from a cohort of 490 control families, participated in a web-based survey during the first lockdown, from the 28th April 2020 to 29th May 2020. Results After presenting the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, the results show that these French families ( n = 93) are less wealthy than the control population “without special needs” ( n = 397), have felt more pressures originating from their environment (families, friends, colleagues, media, social networks…), have suffered from more health issues (other than COVID-19), have taken more measures to protect themselves (social-distancing), and were less likely to feel happy. A significantly larger number of them lamented the lack of free time and voiced a larger need for information regarding children’s education. However, their parental role was felt as being more satisfying and their family relations strengthened more than in the general population of participants. Conclusion It is apparent that urgent prioritisation is needed in order to support and care for these families by continuing to provide care for their children in one way or another, and by ensuring that their need to adapt again does not exceed their own abilities and resources, especially as young children, who have high levels of requirements, are present in the home

Organisation des soins et connaissances des médecins français sur le TDAH de l'enfant

International audienceIntroduction: Access to care for children and adolescents affected by ADHD in France remains below the levels attained in most industrialised countries. To contribute to improving ADHD care in France, we assessed existing ADHD knowledge among medical doctors (MDs) and described associated care pathways in two large French regions in 2021. We produced tools to evaluate the regional impact of implementing a stepped-care pathway for ADHD. Methods: A SurveyMonkey® study was sent to professionals from two regions in France accounting for 14 million inhabitants, allowing them to describe their role in child/adolescent ADHD, as well as their representations and knowledge about the disorder. Results: Around 9.4% of all MDs potentially involved with children took part in the study; 34.9% considered themselves untrained, 40.5% were involved in ADHD care at a first-tier level, and 19.6% at a second-tier level. Access to a second or third-tier service for ADHD was associated with mean waiting times of 5.7 and 8.5 months, respectively. Initiation of stimulant therapy remained mainly restricted to second or third-tier MDs, and adaptation of dosage or change in the galenic formulation was rarely performed by first-tier MDs (27.2% and 18%, respectively). Training in neurodevelopmental disorders and tier-level were the strongest determinants of knowledge, attitudes and self-assessed expertise about ADHD. Conclusions: This study provides insight into training needs for MDs regarding healthcare pathways in ADHD and should support the implementation of health policies, such as a stepped healthcare access for ADHD. The study design and dissemination have been validated and will be available in France and other countries facing similar obstacles in care pathways for ADHD. Official recommendations on ADHD in children and adults are being updated in France, and our data and the survey design will be a starting point for their implementation

Vécu des familles d'enfants (de la naissance à 6 ans) durant le confinement lié à la pandémie de la Covid-19

Nous sommes un groupe de chercheur.e.s en sciences humaines et sociales (psychologie, sociologie, sciences de l’information et de la communication, anthropologie) et en santé publique et médecine, étudiant le développement des jeunes enfants au sein de leurs familles et dans différents contextes de vie. La pandémie actuelle liée à la COVID-19 peut ainsi être considérée comme un contexte exceptionnel auquel enfants et familles ont été confrontés. Conscient·e·s des difficultés et souffrances engendrées par la pandémie de COVID-19 pour de nombreuses familles, ce contexte inédit dans notre pays auquel enfants et parents sont confrontés, nous a semblé important à étudier en particulier pour les familles ayant des enfants de moins de 6 ans. En effet, la petite enfance est une étape essentielle jouant un rôle central dans les conditions de vie futures des individus. Aussi, avons-nous jugé important d’analyser ce que les parents et les jeunes enfants vivent, ressentent, mobilisent durant cette période de confinement. Il s’agit ainsi de documenter les impacts favorables ou moins favorables de cette crise pour les familles et leurs jeunes enfants. Cette étude permettra de mieux comprendre ce que les mères, pères, et leurs jeunes enfants vivent durant le confinement en France, ce qu’ils et elles expérimentent comme moments favorables ou moins favorables durant cette crise sanitaire, d’appréhender les activités possiblement genrées et socialement situées les plus mobilisées et qui ressortent du travail domestique (tâches éducatives, de soin, d’entretien) ainsi que le ressenti émotionnel associé pour chacun des deux parents. Les analyses seront confrontées au regard des variables démographiques et socio-économiques (sexe, âge, niveau d’étude, logement, emploi, etc.)