b"EXPLORING SOCIAL ISOLATION, STRESS, AND NEEDS OF CAREGIVERS TO INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITYSyed Hussien B Ahmad Almunawar, Lim Hui Ping Natasha, Roann Chew Wan Lin, Leong Tong Fang, Teo Yu XiangIntroductionMovement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) is a voluntary welfareorganisation based in Singapore that provides services for those with intellectual developmentdisorders (IDD). Currently, MINDS Caregivers Support Services (CSS) works with caregivers whoare socially isolated or at risk of social isolation to assist in the development of support networksand care plans that are appropriate for the caregivers. Particularly during the COVID-19 period,caregivers are deprived of face-to-face interaction (e.g. house visits, counselling) with socialworkers or other professionals. With insufficient support and resources, this may result in anincrease in various caregivers stress factors, such as social isolation and caregiver burden.The present study, done by students from Temasek Polytechnics Diploma inPsychology Studies in collaboration with MINDS, aims to identify thepotential stressors caregivers may experience from the COVID-19 situation.By determining their needs and examining the effectiveness of MINDS'sprovided services, possible solutions to help meet these needs can bedeveloped.MethodologyA total of 10 participants (aged 47 72) were recruited to take part in our study.They are caregivers from different sectors of MINDS, namely Training Development Centres (TDCs), Employment Development Centres (EDC), and Schools.There are 24 questions for this interview, and it covers five broad areas: General Caregiving Experience, Caregiver Burden, Social Isolation, Caregiver Perceived Stress/Quality of Life, Perceived Social Support/Coping Strategies. We included a Interview kick-off and closing question to start and end the interview session, respectively.Survey data from a previous research study conducted by MINDS was used to complement the interview as some of the questions were highly relevant to our study. MINDS recruited a total of 210 participants aged 20 years old and above The recruited participants are caregivers of individuals who suffer from an intellectual disorder. The secondary data involves a survey previously conducted by MINDS, titled MINDS Caregivers Perceived Stress and Isolation during COVID 19 (CSS/SSCC)SurveyThe scales administered in the survey are the Perceived Stress Scale-10 and De Jong Gierveld 6 item Social Loneliness Scale.7TH PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES 11STUDENT CONFERENCE 2021"