Mindfulness Parenting and Childish Play: A Clinical Trial With Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Liliana P Rojas-Torres, Yurena Alonso-Esteban, Francisco Alcantud-Marín
Psicothema August 1, 2023 DOI: 10.7334/psicothema2022.339 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study with two groups receiving the same treatment at different time points Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 14 |
| Population | Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (6 couples and 2 mothers) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Parenting (MP) intervention |
| Duration | 8-week training programme |
| Measures | SCAARED, PSI-4, AIM, FFMQ |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Stress, psychological Parenting Parents Female Autism spectrum disorder |
| Key points | The authors report that an 8-week Mindfulness Parenting programme increased parents' mindfulness awareness, specifically non-judgment and reduced reactivity, and was accompanied by reduced parental, general, and social anxiety and improved parent-child interaction. The training did not change parents' perception of the severity of their child's disorder. The authors state the small sample precludes generalisation. |
Abstract
Background: Problems of behaviour, communication, and social interaction associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders can overwhelm parents. Disturbances in parents' psychological well-being (anxiety, depression) affect adherence to treatment, making it less effective. There is a need to investigate how to increase psychological wellbeing in parents of children with autism.
Method: An 8-week brief training programme using the Mindfulness Parenting (MP) intervention was applied to fourteen parents (6 couples and two mothers). Participants were assigned to one of two groups, both groups received the same treatment but at two different time points. Measures of anxiety (SCAARED), parental stress (PSI-4), autism severity level (AIM) and mindfulness awareness (FFMQ), were assessed.
Results: Analysis indicates that MP training increased mindfulness awareness, increasing non-judgment and reactivity, and consequently, reduced anxiety (parental, general, social), improving parent-child interaction. This improvement did not influence parents' perception of the severity of the disorder.
Conclusions: The small number of participants precludes generalisation of the results. More clinical trials are needed to demonstrate the usefulness of including these programmes in early intervention services, as well as profiles of parents who may potentially benefit from it.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review. Brain Sciences September 30, 2024
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Improving the Mental Health of Parents of Children with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of autism and developmental disorders March 13, 2025
Cites 4
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Self Compassion (SC) Training for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Trial in Community Services in Spain Children April 22, 2021
- Mindful Parenting in Mental Health Care. Mindfulness June 1, 2010