Children that have a parent with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) suffer from the progressive loss of their beloved ones. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the difficulties faced by these children have increased. The study aimed to detect whether there were differences between the minors experiencing a relative’s ALS and the minors with no experience of ALS and it aimed also to detect the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on these minors. The study involved Italian participants, in particular: the target group consisted of 38 children (7–18 years) (T0/T1); the control group consisted of 38 children (9–14 years) (T0 only). The following variables were measured: attachment with the Security Scale (SS), affects with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C), behavioural problems with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), death representation with Testoni Death Representation Scale for Children (TDRS-C), self-concept with the Multidimensional Self Concept Scale (MSCS), resilience and socio-emotional skills with the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). The results showed higher negative affectivity ( p < .001), externalising behaviours ( p < .05), uncertainty in reflective function ( p < .05) in the target group compared to the control one; after the COVID-19 pandemic minors in the target group showed reduced certainty of mental states ( p < .05) and interpersonal and scholastic self-esteem ( p < .05). The impact of ALS on these minors is significant and produces negative affect, externalizing behaviours and uncertainty of mental states. The lockdown situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated minors in their school and interpersonal self-esteem.
【저자키워드】 public health, Health care, Health services, Psychology, Quality of life, 【초록키워드】 Resilience, lockdown, children, COVID-19 pandemic, death, scale, behavioural, security, assessment, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, strength, student, negative affect, Participants, Self Concept, control group, self, attachment, difficulty, schedule, problem, parent, Lateral Sclerosis, DESSA, variable, negative, representation, concept, Affect, Mental, ALS, Italian, detect, involved, reduced, 【제목키워드】 children,