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Wellbeing in Parents of Children With Developmental Disabilities: Randomized Controlled Trial of an e-Public-Health Intervention
ABSTRACT
Background:
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.
Objective:
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.
Methods:
A two-arm randomized controlled trial (N =500 primary caregivers of children with DD in Canada) 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 (T0, T1, T2).
Results:
Participants in the intervention group demonstrated modest but statistically significant improvements in psychological wellbeing and reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety from baseline to post-intervention, compared to the control group (all p < .05). No statistically significant differences between groups were observed for changes in the Parent Wellbeing Scale scores ( p > .05).
Conclusions:
The 90SecondParent Wellbeing e-health letter is a promising, cost-effective, and scalable low-intensity public health intervention for enhancing individual psychological health and reducing acute mental health symptoms among parents of children with DD. These findings highlight the value of low-burden e-health support in reaching underserved families. However, addressing broader aspects of caregiving-specific wellbeing, as measured by the PWS, may require more comprehensive intervention strategies. Further research is warranted to optimize e-health solutions for this population.
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Copyright
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