QUALITY OF LIFE OF PARENTS WITH CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

The present study examines family functioning with a particular emphasis on the quality of life of parents during the implementation of restrictive measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.This period was characterized by several notable changes, including reduced mobility, diminished social interactions, alterations to daily routines due to the suspension of activities such as organized sports, the shift to distance learning and telecommuting, and temporary work interruptions.These circumstances suggest that the pandemic may have served as a potential influencing factor on parents' quality of life.The primary objective of this research is to investigate and compare the quality of life of parents with children with disabilities to that of parents with children without disabilities during the early stages of the pandemic.A total of 242 parents participated in the study, including 101 parents of children with disabilities and 141 parents of children without disabilities.Following a quantitative research methodology, the study employed two instruments for data collection: (a) the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire (Ginieri-Coccossis, Antonopoulou & Christodoulou, 2001) and (b) a custom-designed questionnaire consisting of five Likert-scale statements that assessed participants' emotional responses over the previous month during the implementation of COVID-19 containment measures.Data were collected via Google Forms during the final ten days of the restrictive measures, covering a period of up to one month prior.Analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the social relationships subscale, with parents of children with disabilities reporting lower mean scores.Correlations between the two questionnaires suggest that the family unit played a critical role in managing the various challenges encountered during the early stages of the pandemic.