ACT-Based Training for Parental Burnout and Child Well-being

NCT07047378 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: NTEC-2025-184
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The purpose of the proposed randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in reducing parental burnout and improving children's emotional and behavioral adjustment in families in Hong Kong over 3 months after the intervention. The findings will provide valuable and scientific insights to inform better parenting interventions and child protection policies.

Conditions

Child Abuse; Parental Burnout

Keywords

Child maltreatment; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); Hong Kong; Parental burnout; Psychological flexibility; Feasibility; Acceptability; Child adjustment; Child emotion; Emotional development

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Parental Burnout

  The Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA, 23-item, 7-point Likert scale) will be employed to evaluate the level of parental burnout. The Chinese version of PBA has reported good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = \>.8), adequate construct validity (.66\~.79), and strong convergent validity in Chinese parents.

  Change from baseline assessment to immediate and 3 months post-intervention

• Children's emotional and behavioral adjustment

  The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, 25-item, 3-point Likert scale) will be used to assess children's emotional and behavioral adjustment. The Chinese version of SDQ demonstrates satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .45-.90) and good test-retest reliability (coefficients = 0.8 to 0.85).

  Change from baseline assessment to immediate and 3 months post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Parental Psychological flexibility

  Change from baseline assessment to immediate and 3 months post-intervention

• Children's psychological flexibility

  Change from baseline assessment to immediate and 3 months post-intervention

• Adaptive parenting behaviors

  Change from baseline assessment to immediate and 3 months post-intervention

• Parent-Child Relationship Quality

  Change from baseline assessment to immediate and 3 months post-intervention

Study Arms (2)

ACT Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Both ACT Intervention and the Control Group will receive standard services originally provided by Harmony House. For parents allocated to this experimental group, 6 sessions of the ACT-based parenting program, one weekly session, 90 minutes per session. For children allocated to this experimental group, 6 sessions of the child-focused ACT programme, one weekly session, 90 minutes per session.

Behavioral: ACT Intervention Group

Control Group

OTHER

Participants allocated to the Control Group will not receive the ACT intervention during the initial 3-month study period but will be offered the intervention afterward as part of a waitlist control design.

Other: control group

Interventions

ACT Intervention Group BEHAVIORAL

For Parent ACT Group, parents will participate in a six-week, group-based ACT program integrated with behavioral parenting training based on positive parenting principles. Each session lasts two hours and includes 65 minutes of ACT-based activities (e.g., experiential exercises, guided imagery, mindfulness, values clarification, metaphors) and 25 minutes of parenting education and/or behavioral skills training. For Children ACT Group, children (aged 6-11) will also receive a child-focused ACT intervention to help them manage emotional challenges. Each session lasts two hours and includes 65 minutes of ACT-based activities (e.g., experiential exercises, guided imagery, mindfulness, values clarification, metaphors) and 25 minutes of behavioral skills training.

ACT Intervention Group

control group OTHER

Participants allocated to the Control Group will not receive the ACT intervention but will continue to receive the standard services originally provided by Harmony House. These services constitute usual care and include initial assessments, individual counselling, group counselling, the provision of community resource information, and referrals. Control group participants will receive these supports as usual. This study will not alter their existing service arrangements in any way, nor will it add to or reduce the support they receive. Aside from not participating in the ACT program, the control group's experience will be identical to that of clients receiving regular services. After the intervention group completes the program, the control group will be offered the same course content (i.e., a waitlist intervention arrangement).

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 3 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• For the Parent ACT Group:
• Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong residents between the ages of 19 and 65 years.
• Primary caregivers of a child aged 3 to 11 years.
• Have been identified by school social workers as being at risk of domestic violence or experiencing emotional distress.
• For the Child ACT Group:
• Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong residents between the ages of 3 and 11 years.
• Have been identified by school social workers as being at risk of domestic violence or experiencing emotional distress.
• Participants must have sufficient Cantonese language proficiency to understand and communicate during the intervention.
• Both parents and children must provide informed consent to participate in the study and all related assessments.

You may not qualify if:

• For the Parent ACT Group:
• Parents diagnosed with severe mental illnesses.
• Parents with a developmental disability that interferes with their ability to comprehend the program's content.
• Parents with cognitive, language, communication, visual, or hearing impairments or disorders that could impede their understanding of the intervention content; or
• Parents currently participate in other psychosocial, psychoeducational, or parenting interventions.
• Parents with active substance abuse issues that may interfere with their ability to participate in or benefit from the program.
• Parents whose children have been diagnosed with psychological or medical conditions.
• For the Child ACT Group:
• \. Children who have been diagnosed with psychological or medical conditions.
• Families who are unable or unwilling to commit to attending the six-week sessions or completing follow-up assessments.
• Families who lack access to transportation or other necessary resources to attend the intervention sessions
• Parents and children who cannot understand or communicate in the language used in the intervention and assessments (i.e., Cantonese and Chinese).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chinese University of Hong Kong: lead
• Harmony House: collaborator
• Hong Kong Jockey Club: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Harmony House Limited

Kwun Tong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Shatin, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Control Groups

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Research Design; Methods

Central Study Contacts

Yuen Yu CHONG, PhD

CONTACT

(852) 3943 0665; conniechong@cuhk.edu.hk

Choi Hung TANG

CONTACT

(852) 3943 5016; choihungchtang227@cuhk.edu.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The outcome assessor(s) is/are blind to the group assignment in this study since it employs single-blind masking. Because of the nature of the intervention, both participants and care providers (e.g., facilitator or therapist) are aware of the assigned condition. To minimize bias in data interpretation, the outcome assessor(s) do/does not have access to participant group assignment information.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: Parallel Assignment; Repeated measures (baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up) 2-arm randomized controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 24, 2025
• First Posted: July 2, 2025
• Study Start: April 22, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2028
• Last Updated: July 10, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

HK (2)