Objective

Many parents of children with chronic conditions and developmental disabilities experience high rates of burnout and psychological distress. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of two differently delivered interventions based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on symptoms of burnout, depression, quality of life, psychological flexibility, and mindfulness skills.

Method

A total of 110 parents of children aged 0.8 to 17 years with chronic conditions and developmental disabilities participated in a randomized controlled trial lasting 13 weeks with two intervention groups: (1) an iACT intervention, including three psychologist-led video conferencing sessions, and (2) a self-help ACT, which received self-help material: an ACT-based booklet with the possibility of using ACT-based online exercises.

Results

For the main outcome measure burnout, a similar decrease was found in both groups. The supported iACT intervention produced significantly larger improvements in depressive symptoms (d = 0.49), psychological flexibility (d = 0.64), and mindfulness (d = 0.55) compared to the self-help ACT intervention. For health-related quality of life, only the dimension of role limitations caused by emotional problems showed a significant difference in favor of the supported iACT (d = 0.58).

Conclusions

The results suggest that the iACT intervention including three video conferencing sessions with a psychologist produced broader improvements in parents' psychological well-being than the self-help ACT. Overall, Internet-delivered interventions and video conferencing technology may offer a feasible alternative to psychological support and self-care for parents of children with chronic conditions. Further research is needed to investigate the long-term effects of the current delivery models.

中文翻译：

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支持患有慢性病儿童的父母：基于网络和自助 ACT 干预的随机对照试验

客观的

许多患有慢性病和发育障碍儿童的父母经历了很高的倦怠和心理困扰。本研究的目的是检查基于接受和承诺疗法 (ACT) 的两种不同干预措施对倦怠、抑郁、生活质量、心理灵活性和正念技能的症状的影响。

方法

共有 110 名 0.8 至 17 岁患有慢性病和发育障碍的儿童的父母参加了一项为期 13 周的随机对照试验，其中有两个干预组：（1）iACT 干预，包括三个由心理学家主导的视频会议，以及（ 2) 一本自助 ACT，它收到了自助材料：一本基于 ACT 的小册子，可以使用基于 ACT 的在线练习。

结果

对于主要结果测量倦怠，两组都发现了类似的下降。 与自助 ACT 干预相比，受支持的 iACT 干预在抑郁症状 ( d  = 0.49)、心理灵活性 ( d  = 0.64) 和正念 ( d = 0.55)方面产生了更大的改善。对于与健康相关的生活质量，只有情绪问题导致的角色限制维度显示出有利于支持的 iACT 的显着差异（d  = 0.58）。

结论

结果表明，与自助 ACT 相比，iACT 干预（包括与心理学家的三个视频会议）在父母的心理健康方面产生了更广泛的改善。总体而言，互联网提供的干预措施和视频会议技术可能为患有慢性病儿童的父母提供心理支持和自我保健的可行替代方案。需要进一步研究来调查当前交付模式的长期影响。