Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Parents of Disabled Child

Effect of Interventions Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Administered to Parents of Special Needs Children on Their Levels of Psychological Resilience, Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Caregiver Burden: A Randomised Controlled Trial

This study was carried out to determine the effect of ACT-based interventions applied to parents of special needs children (CSN) on their levels of psychological inflexibility, psychological resilience, depression, anxiety, stress, and caregiver burden.

This research is a pretest, posttest, follow-up, randomized controlled experimental study. The research was carried out in Şehitkamil and Şahinbey districts, which are two central districts of Gaziantep Province. 60 parents with disabled children were included in the study (intervention: 30 parents, control: 30 parents). The research data was collected as pretest, posttest and follow-up test from the intervention group between April and December 2019, and the control group between April and September 2019 in three stages. Parental Identification Form, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Adult Psychological Resilience Scale (RSA-21) were used as data collection form. After the pre-test data was collected, the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Based Intervention Program was applied to the intervention group in six sessions. The duration of each session lasted on average 60-90 minutes. A session was held for each parent once a week. The control group participated in the training carried out by the guidance service.

The intervention programme based on ACT was prepared with the aim of reducing levels of psychological inflexibility, caregiver burden, depression, anxiety and stress, and of increasing levels of psychological resilience in parents of CSN.

In the preparation of the interventions and planning of the sessions based on ACT, the researcher utilised studies in the literature and the basic ACT training she had received. After preparation of the ACT intervention protocol, it was given its final shape by obtaining the views of specialists working in this field. The sessions were prepared based on six components of psychological flexibility found at the basis of ACT.

Keywords: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), special needs child, psychological inflexibility, resilience, depression-anxiety-stress levels, caregiver burden, public health nurse.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parents with children at the Gaziantep Private Education Practice Schools I. and II. stage (the mother or father will be the person who is primarily responsible for the child's care).
• Those living in the central districts of Gaziantep province,
• Those who have not received any such training (ACT) or received any psychiatric treatment/support or therapy,
• There is currently no ongoing psychological or psychiatric treatment,
• Does not have problems such as substance/alcohol addiction,
• Without communication disabilities (hearing and speaking),
• Speaking Turkish,
• Literate,
• Parents who agreed to participate in the research

Exclusion Criteria:

• Parents with cognitive impairment (mental retardation or a psychiatric diagnosis),
• Parents who have previously received psychiatric support or therapy,
• Parents with problems such as substance/alcohol abuse,
• Has a communication disability (hearing-speaking),
• Using a language other than Turkish,
• Illiterate parents