Association of Socio-Clinical Factors With Psychological Distress in Parents or Caregivers of Children With Mental Illness.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong psychological impact on family units. This study investigated the contribution of sociodemographic and clinical factors to psychological distress in parents or caregivers of children with a mental illness at a specialist tertiary hospital in Gauteng, South Africa. A structured sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire measuring psychological distress was self-administered to 150 participants. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure the severity of stress, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure the severity of depression, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was used to measure the severity of anxiety. Significant predictors of mental health status include loss of home due to COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR: 46.61], 95% confidence interval [CI: 5.81, 1,089.92]), history of psychiatric treatment (OR: 11.98, [3.16, 57.22]), perceived decline in quality of life (OR: 11.88, [1.20, 185.28]), female sex (OR: 3.83, [1.00, 17.7]), and difficulty spending time with extended family (OR: 3.09, [1.10, 9.29]). The mental health status of caregivers of children with mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic was likely influenced by the loss of a home due to COVID-19, a history of psychiatric treatment, a perceived decline in quality of life, the female gender, and difficulty spending time with extended family. Our study demonstrated the intricate interplay of socioclinical factors with depression, anxiety, and perceived stress.