Feasibility and acceptability of an online acceptance and commitment therapy group for parents caring for a child with cerebral palsy
- 2 October 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Journal of Family Studies
- Vol. 28 (4), 1338-1354
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2020.1822198
Abstract
This study explored the feasibility and acceptability of a videoconferencing group psychotherapy intervention for parents of children living with cerebral palsy. A six-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention called Take a Breath was provided. Participants were 26 parents of children aged 12 months to nine years, with severe cerebral palsy. Parents responded to questionnaires at three time-points; baseline, pre-intervention, and post-intervention. Qualitative responses were recorded in response to a structured item asking about benefits of participating in the intervention. Of those enrolled, 90% of parents attended the minimum required sessions and 35% attended all six sessions. Quantitative results revealed significant reductions in guilt and worry, and increased mindfulness, which echoed parents’ qualitative responses. The pilot findings suggest the Take a Breath intervention is a feasible and acceptable approach to providing mental health services to parents who face significant daily challenges and barriers to engaging support. Larger scale studies are warranted.Keywords
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