Resilience Intervention for Parents of Children with Autism: Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial of the AMOR Method

J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Mar 28. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-04977-y. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTParents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience elevated stress, yet parent-specific interventions are sparse. Thirty-five parents of children with ASD were randomized to the novel 8-week AMOR (Acceptance, Mindfulness, Optimism, Resilience) Method parent group or waitlist control group. Significant gains in resilience were reported by AMOR parents only (d = 1.42, p < 0.001, 95% CI [2.152, 10.083]). AMOR parents exhibited significant gains in stress management and reductions in mental health symptoms, along with parent-reported improvements in martial, family, and child functioning. AMOR group follow-up data showed some maintenance of treatment gains. Findings demonstrate promise for resilience interventions in parents of children with ASD. The trial was registered (clinicaltrials.gov; NCT03513419; May 1, 2018) and approved by the Stanford University Institutional Review Board.PMID:33774741 | DOI:10.1007/s10803-021-04977-y
Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research