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The CRISIS Study: COVID-19 and Reading Impairments: Survey Investigating Socializing
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- Author / Creator
- Zabian, Samira
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An invisible disability, such as a reading impairment, can negatively influence one’s reading, writing, and spelling abilities. However, reading impairments also impact social and emotional wellbeing. Social interaction can act as a buffer against social and emotional stressors to enhance wellbeing. In the present study, we wanted to gain insight into the impact of a global emergency (the COVID-19 pandemic) on socializing in adults with and without reading impairments. Participants (N = 53; Mean Age = 26) completed an online survey which collected information on socio-demographics, health history, reading history, perceptions of the pandemic, anxiety, depression, and social and emotional measures. Standardized questionnaires of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7)) and depression (e.g., Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9)) were used. Social measures included queries about social participation habits and social relationships. Emotional factors were measured using five subtests from the National Institute of Health (NIH) Toolbox Emotion Battery, including general life satisfaction, perceived stress, emotional support, instrumental support, and loneliness questionnaires. Results showed that social participation decreased over the pandemic for individuals with dyslexia and the general population, but to a greater extent for individuals with dyslexia (p= .026, p= .002, respectively). Adults with dyslexia reported lower instrumental support during the pandemic, in comparison to adults without dyslexia (p= .007). Adults with dyslexia reported greater depression scores (p= .041) and lower life satisfaction scores (p= .030), compared to adults without dyslexia, only before the pandemic. In general, adults who increased their social participation during the pandemic also reported higher life satisfaction scores on both parts A and B of the questionnaire (rs= .319, p = .026; rs= .304, p = .040, respectively), as well as higher emotional (rs= .501, p < .001) and instrumental support scores (rs= .466, p < .001). Importantly, loneliness was negatively correlated with social participation before the pandemic (rs= -.358, p = .011), but not during the pandemic. In accordance with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health’s (ICF) dimension of participation, these findings underscore the protective and differential impacts of social participation for individuals with and without disabilities and the impacts of a global crisis on social participation particularly for individuals without disabilities. The differential impact of social participation for varying groups on aspects of mental health and other emotional factors during a pandemic are further discussed as well as the potential clinical implications.
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- Subjects / Keywords
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2022
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Master of Science
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.