Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based Group Intervention for Parents of Children With a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Trial

Official title:

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based Group Intervention for Parents of Children With a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Attending a Psychological Service

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04298164
• Other study ID #: START1
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: November 25, 2019
• Est. completion date: March 30, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: April 2021
• Source: University College Dublin
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study is being conducted to look at whether a group programme designed for parents of children with a diagnosis of Autism is effective. The programme is called The START Programme ©- as it aims to provide a Supportive and Therapeutic environment to help parents gain Acceptance and reach Resolution so that they can Take action to live more consistently with their values. The programme was developed by two psychologists in Longford/Westmeath, Ireland, Dr. Michelle Howard and Kara McDermott in 2013, because they identified a lack of therapeutic support for such parents. The programme draws on research and theory from a branch of therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as well as some other psychological techniques. Individuals who agree to participate in the research will be assigned at random to the intervention or to a treatment as usual control condition. They will be asked to fill out 4 questionnaires, on 3 different occasions, with a 7 week gap between the first time and second time, and a 3 month gap between the second and third time.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 56
• Est. completion date: March 30, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: March 30, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants must be adults over the age of 18 with the capacity to provide informed consent who are willing to take part in all aspects of the study

• They must have at least 1 child with a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder who is linked in with one of the psychology service sites involved in the study.

• They must not have completed the START programme before, or be concurrently attending another group based parental intervention.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who are under the age of 18, or who unable or unwilling to provide informed consent for all aspects of the study will be not included.

• Individuals who are receiving other current group based parental interventions will not be included.

• Couples may not attend the programme together, as outlined by the Psychologists who developed the programme.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Autistic Disorder
• Child Development Disorders, Pervasive

Intervention

Behavioral:
• START programme
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy based programme for parents of children with Autism
• Treatment as Usual
Treatment as usual in outpatient within outpatient psychology services

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Ireland	HSE Donegal	Donegal
Ireland	HSE Longford/Westmeath	Longford

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University College Dublin

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Ireland, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in psychological flexibility	Measured using the Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Processes (CompACT)	Measured before first session of programme (Week 1), at the final session of the programme (Week 7), and at 3 month follow up (12 Weeks after Week 7)
Secondary	Parenting stress	Measured using The Autism Parenting Stress Index	Measured before first session of programme (Week 1), at the final session of the programme (Week 7), and at 3 month follow up (12 Weeks after Week 7)
Secondary	Mental wellbeing	Measured using The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scales (WEMWBS)	Measured before first session of programme (Week 1), at the final session of the programme (Week 7), and at 3 month follow up (12 Weeks after Week 7)
Secondary	Parent relationship	Parent Problem Checklist (PPC)	Measured before first session of programme (Week 1), at the final session of the programme (Week 7), and at 3 month follow up (12 Weeks after Week 7)