"ACT" for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

NCT02255786 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2014P001563
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 16
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The investigators will develop and pilot test an intervention called "ACT for Parents" which aims to decrease stress and improve quality of life in parents of children \< 15 years who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. A small randomized trial testing phase will be conducted to gather initial data on the treatment feasibility and acceptability, detect treatment effects between groups (ACT for Parents versus Treatment as Usual), and to refine the treatment design for a future clinical trial.

Conditions

Stress

Keywords

Group Therapy; Parents; Autism; Quality of Life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II Score

  The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II, Bond et al., 2011) is a 10-item Likert scale that measures experiential acceptance (i.e., tendency to accept, rather than avoid, uncomfortable internal experiences) in adult samples.

  From Basline to Month 2 (post-intervention) and from Month 2 to Month 3 (maintenance)

Study Arms (2)

ACT Parent Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will complete a total of five Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - Parent Group Sessions First four are held weekly, last session held one month from 4th session.

Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Treatment as Usual

NO INTERVENTION

Treatment as usual-Control

Interventions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an intervention that fosters acceptance of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as a coping strategy, and encourages engagement in valued behavior in the presence of these emotions. ACT has been successfully applied to parents of children with a variety of mental health presentations.

Also known as: ACT

ACT Parent Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• A parent with a child (under the age of 15) with a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder-NOS, Asperger's Disorder or Autistic Disorder
• Child with ASD diagnosed by a mental health or medical professional
• Must be comfortable speaking and reading and understanding English

You may not qualify if:

• Inability to attend sessions in person on the specified date/time/location of the intervention sessions
• unwillingness to be audio-taped should randomization into the experimental (ACT) group occur.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Massachusetts General Hospital: lead
• Organization for Autism Research: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Lurie Center | Massachusetts General Hospital

Lexington, Massachusetts, 02421, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autistic Disorder

Interventions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Officials

• Lisa A. Nowinski, PhD

  Massachusetts General Hospital - Lurie Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Kirstin Brown Birtwell, PhD

  Massachusetts General Hospital - Lurie Center

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Director, Neuropsychology Training

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 15, 2014
• First Posted: October 3, 2014
• Study Start: October 1, 2014
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2016
• Study Completion: December 1, 2016
• Last Updated: August 13, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-08

Locations

US (1)