The Impact of COVID-19 on Direct Support Professionals and Frontline Supervisors Mental and Physical Health

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Author(s)
Lynda Lahti Anderson, Sandra L Pettingell, Julie Bershadsky, Amy S Hewitt

Description

Direct support professionals (DSPs) and frontline supervisors (FLSs) play a crucial role in the delivery of home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). A four-wave study was launched to understand the experiences of DSPs and FLSs during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last wave, 2,584 participants responded to questions about mental and physical health issues they experienced. FLSs and DSPs differed in their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Differences included the effect on their daily work, how they viewed the quality of their work life, and whether their employer provided support for staff experiencing adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Policy recommendations to address the mental and physical health of DSPs and FLSs are provided.

Keywords: COVID-19; IDD; direct support professionals; frontline supervisors; mental health.

Suggested Citation

Anderson, L. L., Pettingell, S. L., Bershadsky, J., & Hewitt, A. (2025). The Impact of COVID-19 on Direct Support Professionals and Frontline Supervisors Mental and Physical Health. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 63(3), 244–255. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-63.3.244

Details

Date
2025 
Type
Peer-Reviewed Article 
Publisher
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Topics

  • Direct support workforce
    • Retention and recruitment
  • Health and safety
    • Health and wellness