Abstract:

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced families with members with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) around the world to a unique challenge. This study aims to investigate anxiety and resilience in university students belonging to families with members with SEND during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, the coefficients among the above parameters and the differences between parents and young family members. The sample comprised 61 participants, 13 (21.3%) males and 48 (78.7%) females, aged 20-58 years (M=39, Sd=14.1). In 26 families enrolled 61 individuals were affected with SEND, 35 (57.4%) were parents and 26 (42.6%) were family members (university students) at the 3rd and 4th years of their studies in the primary teacher education. For the data collection a Self-report Questionnaire, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Resilience Scale were used. According to the findings, parents and university students showed greater levels of anxiety and moderate resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents had greater values than university students in state anxiety, state-trait anxiety (total), resilience, and lower values in trait anxiety. Finally, participants with higher levels of resilience had lower anxiety levels, and for permanent and total anxiety the correlation is statistically significant. The main conclusion of the study is that university students’ families with members with SEND activate resilience as a mechanism for preventing their balance, although they experience anxiety because of the unprecedented conditions of the pandemic.

Keywords:

Families with a member with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety, resilience, Greece.