90SecondParent Wellbeing: Weekly Health Letters for Parents of Children With Developmental Disabilities

NCT07869251 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 1027743#CIHR-McGrath-27183.
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 500
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) consistently report significant psychological distress, a vulnerability amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic due to intensified caregiving demands and reduced access to formal supports. Scalable e-health interventions offer a promising alternative, yet programs specifically targeting the mental wellbeing of this parent population remain limited. This study aimed to examine the impact of the 90SecondParent Wellbeing e-health intervention on psychological wellbeing, parental wellbeing, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among parents of children with developmental disabilities. A two-arm randomized controlled trial of primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities was conducted with a wait-list control group. The intervention consisted of 36 weekly health letters (the 90SecondParent Wellbeing program) that addressed child behaviour management, support strategies, and positive psychology principles. Outcomes, including psychological wellbeing (PWBS), parental wellbeing (PWS), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), were assessed across three time points ( baseline, immediately after intervention, and 1 month post-intervention (follow-up)).

Conditions

Developmental Disabilities; Psychological Wellbeing; Parental Wellbeing

Keywords

Public health e-intervention; Parenting intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Psychological wellbeing (PWBS)

  The Psychological Wellbeing (PWBS) measure assesses six aspects of wellbeing: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Strongly agree) to 7 (Strongly disagree). Higher scores indicate greater wellbeing. The PWBS was measured at baseline, post-assessment, and follow-up.Total scores range from 18 to 126, with higher scores indicating greater psychological wellbeing.

  Baseline, Immediately after intervention (18 weeks), 1 month post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Parent Wellbeing

  Baseline, Immediately after intervention (18 weeks), 1 month post-intervention

Other Outcomes (2)

• Depressive symptoms

  Baseline, Immediately after intervention (18 weeks), 1 month post-intervention

• Generalized Anxiety Symptoms

  Baseline, Immediately after intervention (18 weeks), 1 month post-intervention

Study Arms (2)

90SecondParent Wellbeing Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

They received 36 weekly health letters (the 90SecondParent Wellbeing program) that addressed child behaviour management, support strategies, and positive psychology principles.

Behavioral: 90SecondParent Wellbeing

Waitlist Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

They didn't receive an intervention and only received access to the health letters after completing the follow-up assessment.

Interventions

90SecondParent Wellbeing BEHAVIORAL

The intervention consisted of 36 weekly health letters that addressed child behaviour management, support strategies, and positive psychology principles.

90SecondParent Wellbeing Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Parent or caregiver of a child with a developmental disability.
• At least 18 years of age
• Spent a minimum of 20 hours per week, for at least the past 3 months, to care for their child with developmental disabilities
• Living in Canada
• Able to read, write, and understand English.
• Provided informed consent.
• Access to a tablet, smart phone, computer, or internet

You may not qualify if:

• Not a parent or caregiver of a child with a developmental disability.
• Spent less than 20 hours per week for less than 3 months caring for a child with developmental disabilities
• Didn't live in Canada
• Not able to read, write, and understand English.
• No access to a tablet, smart phone, computer, or internet.
• Did not consent to the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• IWK Health Centre: lead
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

IWK Health Centre

Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K6R8, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Developmental Disabilities

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Patrick J McGrath, PhD

  IWK Health Centre

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

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: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 28, 2026
• First Posted: October 9, 2026
• Study Start: October 19, 2022
• Primary Completion: October 7, 2024
• Study Completion: October 7, 2024
• Last Updated: October 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF

Locations

CA (1)