Comparative effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction and psychoeducational support on parenting stress in families of autistic preschoolers.
Cameron L Neece, Rachel M Fenning, Holly Er Morrell and 1 others
PMID 37555286WHAT IT FOUND
Mindfulness training reduced parenting stress more than psychoeducation over 12 months.
Both groups improved, but mindfulness showed a steeper decline, with significant differences emerging only at the final follow-up. This suggests mindfulness offers sustained benefit beyond initial support.
Key findings
01Parenting stress decreased significantly over time in both groups, but the reduction was stronger for those in the mindfulness group.
02There were no significant differences in parenting stress between the mindfulness and psychoeducation groups at baseline, immediately post-intervention, or at 6-month follow-up.
03At the 12-month follow-up, the mindfulness group had significantly lower parenting stress scores than the psychoeducation group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study lacked a no-intervention control group, so it is unclear how much of the improvement in both groups was due to the interventions versus natural changes in stress over time. Procedures changed mid-study due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with some cohorts receiving interventions virtually and others in person, which may have impacted engagement and stress levels. The study focused exclusively on parenting stress and did not measure other aspects of parental well-being (like anxiety or self-efficacy) or child outcomes. Attrition was higher among families who did not receive mental health services for their child and those of Latinx ethnicity, potentially limiting generalizability to these groups.
Declared interests
Research support from N.I.H. Extramural. No specific commercial conflicts of interest reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume mindfulness is superior immediately after treatment. The study found no significant difference between mindfulness and psychoeducation at the end of the intervention or at 6 months. The advantage of mindfulness only became statistically significant at the 12-month follow-up.