Effects of COVID-19 Restrictions on Anxiety, Sleep, and Executive Functions among Arab Israeli Children with Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Children are vulnerable to the serious effects of COVID-19 due to the restrictions advanced by governments such as lockdowns, home confinement, and school closing and it is conceivable that the coronavirus might be specifically challenging for those children who are diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Thus, the current study aims to test the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on children with and without ADHD in terms of anxiety, sleep, and executive functions. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 120 Arab Israeli parents of children with and without ADHD. Additional information about sixty non-confined ADHD children was gathered regarding their executive functions before the coronavirus outbreak. The results show that more than 60% of the children with ADHD displayed high levels of anxiety. Compared to children without ADHD, higher rates of sleep-related and executive function difficulties appeared in the ADHD group. In addition, the confined ADHD group showed greater difficulties in executive functions than the non-confined ADHD group. The results extend the literature about the negative effects of the coronavirus outbreak on children, particularly those who are diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders, and highlight the necessity of immediate cognitive and psychological interventions and protective programs for children.