Felicity L Brown1, Koa Whittingham2, Roslyn N Boyd3, Lynne McKinlay4, Kate Sofronoff5. 1. The School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia; Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia; Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: felicity.brown@uqconnect.edu.au. 2. Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia; The School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia. 3. Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia. 4. Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia; Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service, Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. 5. The School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a behavioural family intervention, Stepping StonesTriple P (SSTP), combined with an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop in improving parent, family and couple outcomes following paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Fifty-nine parents (90% mothers) of children (mean age 7 years; 35 males, 24 females) with ABI. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (10-week group SSTP and ACT program) or a care-as-usual (CAU) control condition (10 weeks). Those in the CAU condition received the treatment after the waitlist period. OUTCOMES: Self-report measures of parent psychological distress, parent psychological flexibility, parenting confidence, family functioning, and couple relationship, assessed at: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 6-months post-intervention. RESULTS:Post-intervention, the treatment group showed significant, small to medium improvements relative to the CAU group (at the p < .05 level) on parent psychological distress, parent psychological flexibility, parent confidence in managing behaviours, family adjustment,and number of disagreements between parents. Most improvements were maintained at 6-months. CONCLUSIONS: Parent skills training and ACT may be efficacious in improving parent, family, and couple outcomes in families of children with an ABI.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a behavioural family intervention, Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP), combined with an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop in improving parent, family and couple outcomes following paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Fifty-nine parents (90% mothers) of children (mean age 7 years; 35 males, 24 females) with ABI. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (10-week group SSTP and ACT program) or a care-as-usual (CAU) control condition (10 weeks). Those in the CAU condition received the treatment after the waitlist period. OUTCOMES: Self-report measures of parent psychological distress, parent psychological flexibility, parenting confidence, family functioning, and couple relationship, assessed at: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 6-months post-intervention. RESULTS: Post-intervention, the treatment group showed significant, small to medium improvements relative to the CAU group (at the p < .05 level) on parent psychological distress, parent psychological flexibility, parent confidence in managing behaviours, family adjustment,and number of disagreements between parents. Most improvements were maintained at 6-months. CONCLUSIONS: Parent skills training and ACT may be efficacious in improving parent, family, and couple outcomes in families of children with an ABI.