Social Support As a Mediator of Stress and Life Satisfaction for People with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION:This study examined factors that predict stress level and life satisfaction among adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of social support.METHOD:From a larger study about the experiences during the pandemic of 2028 individuals with and without disabilities, 181 adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (or proxy) responded.RESULTS:Most respondents with intellectual or developmental disabilities (92.8%) reported negative impacts from the pandemic, with 55.2% of the 96 employed pre-pandemic reporting impacted employment, including job loss. The negative impact of the pandemic was a significant predictor of stress level; social support was related to reduced stress. Stress level and the negative impact of the pandemic were inversely related to life satisfaction; social support was positively related to life satisfaction. Social support partially mediated the association between stress level and life satisfaction.DISCUSSION:Comprehensive services and social support systems are needed to combat the impact of the pandemic.