Anxiety
Conditions
Interventions
This is a non-randomized, two-arm clinical trial with a wait-list control group. The participants were all parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There were 32 participants
T2: immediately after the end of the intervention in group 1 and before the start of the intervention in group 2
T3: eight weeks after the end of the intervention in group 1 and immediately after the end of the intervention in group 2.
Sponsors
Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná
Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Be parents of children between 5 months and 14 years of age who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder established according to the DSM-V criteria. Accept and be available to participate in one of the 2 mindfulness intervention groups for 8 weeks (8 meetings of approximately 2 hours) to be held online via the Zoom platform. Agree to complete the pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, as well as the Informed Consent Form (TCLE - Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido) and a health screening questionnaire.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Patients who are unable to attend online sessions at the scheduled times, either due to lack of availability or adequate equipment (computer with webcam, headphones, microphone, and broadband internet). Patients with more than 2 absences from the program or who miss the first or second session of the program. Participants with a diagnosis of a serious illness such as cancer, epilepsy. Participants with a diagnosis of an uncontrolled psychiatric disorder: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| A reduction in anxiety was expected. There was a significant reduction in anxiety and stress indices, and in the total scores of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The average anxiety index of group 1 pre-intervention was 32 and in group 2 it was 20, both classified as extremely severe anxiety, and after the intervention the average index was 8, considered mild, for group 1 and 4, within the normal range, for group 2. An average drop of 28 points on the scale CI 95% 10 to 45 p=0.003;It was expected a reduction in the parental score index. Through the EEPA Parental Stress Scale (PSS in the original english scale), parental satisfaction and parental stress indices were assessed. There was no significant change in the parental satisfaction index. When assessing the parental stress subscale, there was a reduction of 7.2 mean points CI 95% 1.9 to 13 p=0.01. And when assessing the total score of the scale, parental stress together with the inverted score of parental satisfaction, we also found an even greater reduction in the total parental stress index of 10 points CI 95% 3 to 17 p=0.007;It was expected a reduction in the stress index. When assessing the stress index in the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), it was possible to find the average score of 44 in group 1 and 32 in group 2 pre-intervention, indices considered as extremely severe and severe respectively; after the intervention group 1 scored 24 and group 2 scored 16, considered moderate and mild. An average drop of 33 points, CI 95% 18 to 47 p<0.001. The depression indices pre-intervention for gourp 1 were 32 and for group 2 28, both classified as extremely severe. After intervention, both group 1 and group 2 presented an average score of 12, compatible with mild depression. A drop of 16 CI 95% -1.1 to 33 p=0.067;It was expected that there would be a reduction in symptoms related to depression. The depression subscale of the DASS-21 did not show statistical significance, despite showing a p | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| This study aimed to evaluate whether a mindfulness intervention for parents would affect the autism behavior index in their children. The Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) score reflects behaviors in 5 areas related to ASD: sensory (SE), relating to people (RE), body use and object use (CO), language (LG), and personal-social and self-care skills (OS). There was a statistically significant change in the reduction of the personal-social and self-care (OS) subscale index, a decrease of 4.2 points CI 0.5 to 7.9 p=0.027, and in the total score of the scale, a decrease of 15 points 95% CI 3.1 to 26 p=0.015;It was expected an increase in the mindfulness score, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) scale was used. It generates an overall score for mindfulness skills and investigates individual components of this skill through 5 subscales: observation, description, awareness, non-judgment, non-reactivity. All components showed a significant increase, except for the description subscale. Participants showed an average increase of 7.4 points on the observation scale CI 95% 12 to 2 p=0.007, an average increase of 6.9 points in awareness CI 12 to 2.3, p=0.006, an average increase of 6.8 points in non-judgment CI 95% 12 to 1.8 p=0.009, an increase of 6.3 points in non-reactivity CI 95% 10 to 2.4 p=0.002. In the total score of the scale, an average increase of 29 points was observed CI 44 to 13 p<0.001;The residual effect of the intervention, assessed by comparing scores pre-intervention with 8 weeks after, showed significant benefits regarding anxiety (p0.024), stress (p0.003) and total (p0.01) of the DASS-21 scale. A significant residual effect was also observed regarding the total mindfulness score p=0.032 and total ICA score p=0.015 | — |
Countries
Brazil
Contacts
Public ContactLuis Paulo Dutra
Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná
Outcome results
None listed