Informal mindfulness practices: A new approach to the prevention and treatment of parental burnout
Agata Urbanowicz, Rebecca Shankland, Jaynie Rance, Paul Bennett, Aurélie Gauchet
Research Square June 26, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3006235/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Waitlist-controlled intervention study |
|---|---|
| Population | Parents |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Compared with a waitlist control group, parents participating in the FOVEA informal mindfulness programme showed a statistically significant large reduction in parental burnout severity. The authors conclude that informal mindfulness practices could be a means of effectively preventing and reducing parental burnout. |
Abstract
Abstract The present study assessed the effectiveness of informal mindfulness practice among parents in terms of parental burnout prevention and treatment. The objective was to test a new approach based on informal mindfulness practices, the FOVEA programme, implemented in daily activities rather than based on formal meditations. Indeed, traditional mindfulness programmes (e.g., MBCT, MBSR) require a 45-minute daily meditation practice which can be difficult to include in parents’ tight schedules, and even more for parents suffering from or at risk of parental burnout. In contrast, the FOVEA programme was designed to enhance the awareness of the present moment in ecological context mainly using the five senses and awareness of breath and body sensations. We tested the hypothesis that compared to the waitlist control group parents participating in the programme would present a greater reduction of parental burnout scores following the intervention. Compared to the control group, the results revealed a statistically significant large effect of FOVEA intervention on parental burnout severity. Thus, informal mindfulness practices could be a means of effectively preventing and reducing parental burnout.