'Living in the Present' mindfulness for parents of children with skin conditions: a single group case series.
Olivia Hughes, Katherine H Shelton, Helen Penny, Andrew R Thompson
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1017/S1352465824000341 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-group experimental case design (SCED) with mixed methods Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Parents of children with eczema, ectodermal dysplasia, ichthyosis, and alopecia |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Childhood skin conditions Parenting stress |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | The mindfulness intervention led to some significant improvements in parenting stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life for parents and children, though two parents showed increased anxiety. |
Abstract
Parents of children with skin conditions can experience stress from the additional responsibilities of care. However, there is a lack of psychological interventions for families affected by a dermatological diagnosis. To investigate (1) whether delivering the 'Living in the Present' mindfulness curriculum to parents of children with skin conditions reduced stress and increased both parental/child quality of life (QoL), and (2) determine intervention acceptability. Ten parents of children with eczema, ectodermal dysplasia, ichthyosis, and alopecia took part in a mindfulness-based intervention. Using mixed methods, a single-group experimental case design (SCED) was conducted and supplemented by thematic analysis of exit interviews. Parents completed idiographic measures of parenting stress, standardised measures of QoL, stress, mindfulness, and took part in exit interviews. Children also completed QoL measures. Tau-U analysis of idiographic measures revealed three parents showed some significant improvements in positive targets, and five parents showed some significant improvements in negative targets. Assessment of reliable change demonstrated that: one parent showed improvement in mindful parenting, three parents showed improvement in parenting stress, seven parents showed improvement in anxiety, three parents showed improvements in depression, six parents showed improvement in QoL, and four children showed improvement in QoL. However, two parents showed increased anxiety. Thematic analysis revealed positive changes to mood following mindfulness, although challenges were highlighted, including sustaining home practice. Findings suggest this specific form of mindfulness intervention could be effective for parents of children with skin conditions; however, further robust studies are needed.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Changes in Parent Psychological Flexibility after a One-Time Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Parents of Adolescents with Persistent Pain Conditions Children September 3, 2018
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for social anxiety symptoms in people living with alopecia areata: a single-group case-series design. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy August 8, 2023
- Living With Physical Health Conditions: A Systematic Review of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Children, Adolescents, and Their Parents. Journal of pediatric psychology April 1, 2023
- Reporting of Treatment Fidelity in Mindfulness-Based Intervention Trials: A Review and New Tool using NIH Behavior Change Consortium Guidelines. Mindfulness February 2019
- Has the science of mindfulness lost its mind? BJPsych Bulletin December 2016