The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on Resilience, Happiness, and Ambiguity Tolerance in Mothers of Children with Autism
Shiva Ebrahimifar, Mahdieh Rahmanian
Journal of Personality and Psychosomatic Research January 1, 2025 DOI: 10.61838/kman.jppr.3.1.1 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA quasi-experimental study tested Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in mothers of children with autism. Thirty participants were assigned to either an intervention group receiving eight 90-minute group sessions twice weekly or a control group. Measures of resilience, happiness, and ambiguity tolerance were taken before, after, and at follow-up. Results showed that MBCT increased resilience and happiness scores, but did not improve ambiguity tolerance. The authors suggest that MBCT can enhance resilience by reducing negative emotions and fostering positive ones, and that combining vitality with clear perception of experiences can create positive changes in happiness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, follow-up, and control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Mothers of children with autism in Rasht, Iran, who visited the Gilan Autism Support Charity in 2023 |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) |
| Dose | eight 90-minute sessions |
| Duration | Eight sessions, twice a week, with follow-up (timing not specified) |
| Key finding | MBCT increased resilience and happiness scores in mothers of children with autism, but did not improve ambiguity tolerance. |
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on resilience, happiness, and ambiguity tolerance in mothers of children with autism. The present research is applied in nature and employs a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, follow-up, and a control group. The statistical population of this study consists of all mothers of children with autism in the city of Rasht who visited the Gilan Autism Support Charity in 2023. A sample of 30 participants was purposefully selected. The intervention consisted of eight 90-minute sessions of MBCT training conducted in groups, twice a week, based on the method of Kabat-Zinn (2003). To collect data, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (2003), the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (1989), and the McLain Ambiguity Tolerance Scale (2009) were used. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. The results indicated that the MBCT intervention led to an increase in resilience and happiness scores in mothers of children with autism, but no improvement was observed in ambiguity tolerance scores. Given that resilience skills can be learned and that psychological interventions, including MBCT, can improve resilience by reducing negative emotions and fostering positive emotions, MBCT, through combining vitality and clear perception of experiences, can create positive changes in happiness.