Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: a qualitative study
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in rapid change across all sectors, including healthcare and education, as necessary public health measures (PHM) were implemented to protect the public. Children with complex care needs (CCCN) use health and specialised education services at a higher rate...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2025-06-01
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| Series: | BMJ Paediatrics Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/9/1/e003342.full |
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| author | Janet A Curran Christine Cassidy Helen Wong Catie Johnson Holly McCulloch Mary-Ann Standing Julie Clegg Jessie-Lee McIsaac Jennifer Lane Robyn Kydd Lisa Keeping-Burke De-Lawrence Lamptey Mwalu Peeters Ijeoma Staunton Simonne E Collins |
| author_facet | Janet A Curran Christine Cassidy Helen Wong Catie Johnson Holly McCulloch Mary-Ann Standing Julie Clegg Jessie-Lee McIsaac Jennifer Lane Robyn Kydd Lisa Keeping-Burke De-Lawrence Lamptey Mwalu Peeters Ijeoma Staunton Simonne E Collins |
| author_sort | Janet A Curran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in rapid change across all sectors, including healthcare and education, as necessary public health measures (PHM) were implemented to protect the public. Children with complex care needs (CCCN) use health and specialised education services at a higher rate than the general paediatric population and were disproportionately affected by these changes. The current study aimed to explore the wider impacts of COVID-19 PHM on CCCN and their families in the Maritime provinces of Canada.Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted from March to September 2023, with CCCN aged 15–17 years old and caregivers of CCCN. Interviews were coded by two independent reviewers using the Ten Domains of Health Framework and interpreted using a phenomenological approach.Results 21 parents and 3 youth from across the three Maritime provinces participated in the interviews. Key themes that emerged from the interviews included families carrying the burden of stress and fear, creating and protecting safe spaces, living through uncertainty, accumulating consequences of PHM and feeling disconnected. Within these themes, families mostly described negative impacts, although some positive experiences were also described.Conclusion The findings of the current study will assist in the co-development of recommendations for healthcare and education decision-makers to reduce the negative impacts of future public health emergencies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-690eca8a794e4a5793b533f39a7edb1c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2399-9772 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Paediatrics Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-690eca8a794e4a5793b533f39a7edb1c2025-08-20T03:11:05ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Paediatrics Open2399-97722025-06-019110.1136/bmjpo-2025-003342Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: a qualitative studyJanet A Curran0Christine Cassidy1Helen Wong2Catie Johnson3Holly McCulloch4Mary-Ann Standing5Julie Clegg6Jessie-Lee McIsaac7Jennifer Lane8Robyn Kydd9Lisa Keeping-Burke10De-Lawrence Lamptey11Mwalu Peeters12Ijeoma Staunton13Simonne E Collins14Department of Nursing, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaSchool of Nursing, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada1The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, LiverpoolQuality and Patient Safety, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaIWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaCentre for Health and Community Research, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CanadaChildren’s Health Program, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaFaculty of Education and Department of Child and Youth Study, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaSchool of Nursing, Dalhousie University Faculty of Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaCentre for Health and Community Research, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CanadaDepartment of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, CanadaHolland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, CanadaCentre for Health and Community Research, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CanadaIWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaIntroduction The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in rapid change across all sectors, including healthcare and education, as necessary public health measures (PHM) were implemented to protect the public. Children with complex care needs (CCCN) use health and specialised education services at a higher rate than the general paediatric population and were disproportionately affected by these changes. The current study aimed to explore the wider impacts of COVID-19 PHM on CCCN and their families in the Maritime provinces of Canada.Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted from March to September 2023, with CCCN aged 15–17 years old and caregivers of CCCN. Interviews were coded by two independent reviewers using the Ten Domains of Health Framework and interpreted using a phenomenological approach.Results 21 parents and 3 youth from across the three Maritime provinces participated in the interviews. Key themes that emerged from the interviews included families carrying the burden of stress and fear, creating and protecting safe spaces, living through uncertainty, accumulating consequences of PHM and feeling disconnected. Within these themes, families mostly described negative impacts, although some positive experiences were also described.Conclusion The findings of the current study will assist in the co-development of recommendations for healthcare and education decision-makers to reduce the negative impacts of future public health emergencies.https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/9/1/e003342.full |
| spellingShingle | Janet A Curran Christine Cassidy Helen Wong Catie Johnson Holly McCulloch Mary-Ann Standing Julie Clegg Jessie-Lee McIsaac Jennifer Lane Robyn Kydd Lisa Keeping-Burke De-Lawrence Lamptey Mwalu Peeters Ijeoma Staunton Simonne E Collins Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: a qualitative study BMJ Paediatrics Open |
| title | Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Uncovering the wider impact of COVID-19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the Canadian Maritimes: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | uncovering the wider impact of covid 19 public health measures on the lives of children with complex care needs and their families in the canadian maritimes a qualitative study |
| url | https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/9/1/e003342.full |
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