Comparative effects of mindfulness and skills-based parent training programs
Suzannah Iadarola
Rutgers University Community Repository 2011 DOI: 10.7282/t3b8576f (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Parents of children with autism |
| Intervention | Mindfulness group |
| Duration | 8-week program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Both behavioral skills and mindfulness parent-training groups increased parent-child interaction time and decreased parental ignoring during a play sample. Mindfulness group parents reported significantly lower parental stress and higher global health scores after treatment, while skills group parents showed more directive and intrusive behavior following treatment. |
Abstract
Parents of children with autism are documented to report high levels of stress compared to parents of typically developing children, children with chronic illnesses, and children with other developmental disorders. Previous research has indicated both parent-focused and child-focused parent training programs as effective in alleviating parental stress and enhancing meaningful parent-child interactions. Programs that include behavioral skills training are especially represented in the current literature. However, excluding general psychoeducation there is no consistent model for parent-focused groups. In the present study, a behavioral skills approach was compared to one parent-oriented model, a mindfulness group. Mindfulness encompasses several strategies that encourage staying physically, emotionally, and thoughtfully present in the moment, and discourages avoiding distressing thoughts, feelings, and situations. This approach has been beneficial to individuals with a variety of physical and psychological ailments, and has been suggested preliminarily to be appropriate for parents of children on the autism spectrum. Ten parents of children with autism were matched on a measure of parental stress and were randomized to one of the two treatment groups. Each parent group included an 8-week program that incorporated didactics, discussion, role plays, and homework. Outcomes were assessed in terms of parental stress, global health, and parent-child interactions. Feasibility data were also collected. Results indicated that parent training in general was beneficial to the participants, with parents in the mindfulness group reporting significantly lower parental and higher global health scores following treatment. Both groups were effective in increasing parent-child interaction time and decreasing parental ignoring during a play sample; however participants in the skills group demonstrated more directive and intrusive behavior following treatment. Good attendance and adequate response and retention rates were observed. The implications and future directions of this line of research are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2000
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- A Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Clinical Trial: The Effect of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Program on Mood and Symptoms of Stress in Cancer Outpatients Psychosomatic Medicine September 1, 2000
- Clarifying the construct of mindfulness in the context of emotion regulation and the process of change in therapy. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
and 7 more in the library