Improving psychological distress in parents of children with autism using a new behavioural treatment called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

The effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for improving psychological well-being in parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorders: a randomized controlled trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN17497289

Enrollment

Registered

2021-05-17

Start date

2019-09-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2022-04-25

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Psychological distress in parents of children with autism Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Interventions

Parent pairs are randomly assigned to the experimental group (ACT matrix protocol) or to the control group (Parent Training (PT) protocol) using a computer-generated randomization code.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Parent of child: 1. Between 4 and 10 years of age 2. Clinical diagnosis of ASD based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) criteria from a licensed clinical child neuropsychiatric 3. DSM-5 severity scores from mild (level 1) to moderate (level 2) in both social communication and restricted interests and repetitive behaviors domains 4. A verbal and performance Griffiths Mental Development Scales, Extended Revised: 2 to 8 years (GMDS-ER 2-8) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) above 70 5. No hearing, visual, or physical disabilities that would prevent participation in the intervention 6. Not being on psychiatric medication

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Does not meet inclusion criteria

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Psychological flexibility measured using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQ-II) at baseline and 6 months 2. Perception and influence of children's behavior on parent's life measured using Home Situation Questionnaire (HSQ-ASD) at baseline and 6 months	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Participants' extent of valued living measured using the Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ) at baseline and 6 months 2. Tendency of an individual to intentional awareness measured using the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) at baseline and 6 months 3. Stress level measured using the Parental Stress Index (PSI) at baseline and 6 months	—

Countries

Italy

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026