SOLACE: A Psychosocial Stigma Protection Intervention to Improve the Mental Health of Parents of Autistic Children-A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial.
Annemarie Lodder, Chris Papadopoulos, Gurch Randhawa
PMID 32323046WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of newly diagnosed autistic children who joined SOLACE, a stigma-focused group, reported better mental health and less stigma than controls.
However, the study was underpowered, and the primary goal was testing feasibility, not proving effectiveness.
Key findings
01The SOLACE group reported significantly higher mental health scores at six-week follow-up compared to baseline, while the control group showed no significant change over time.
02Participants in the SOLACE group reported significantly lower levels of courtesy stigma and affiliate stigma (self-stigma) than the control group at both post-intervention and follow-up.
03The study failed to meet its recruitment target of 24 participants, enrolling only 17, which limits the statistical power and certainty of the effectiveness findings.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was a feasibility trial with a very small sample (17 participants), making it underpowered to draw firm conclusions about effectiveness. The recruitment target of 24 was not met, which limits the generalisability of the findings. There were significant baseline imbalances between the groups, particularly in social support and self-blame, which may have influenced the results. The study relied on self-report measures, which can be subject to bias. The qualitative focus group was led by the intervention facilitator, which may have inhibited participants from sharing negative feedback. Double-blinding was not possible, and participants knew whether they were receiving the intervention.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Autistica, a charity dedicated to funding autism research. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the significant improvements in mental health and stigma as proof that SOLACE is an effective treatment. This was a small feasibility trial that failed to meet its recruitment target, so the results are preliminary and underpowered; the primary finding is that the intervention is acceptable and feasible to deliver, not that it works.