“I’m getting it!”: how parents describe change following attendance at mindfulness-enhanced behavioural parent training
Creators: name: Donovan, Mark
name: Barkus, Emma
name: Pickard, Judy
name: Risi, Alixandra
name: Herbert, Jane
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy
subject: Mental Health
subject: Plant Biology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Many parents feel overwhelmed and seek professional assistance in response to their child’s behaviours. Mindfulness-enhanced parenting programs offer an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional gold standard behavioural parent training (BPT). This study explored parents’ descriptions of change following attendance at a mindfulness-enhanced behavioural parent training group program (MeBPT). Our aim was to examine how mindfulness and behavioural components are featured in parents’ change narratives. Utilising a nested sampling design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents (<i>n</i> = 9) of 3–12-year-old children, who attended the program 6 months earlier. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Identified themes were triangulated with qualitative comments from the broader sample of post-group parent evaluations (<i>n</i> = 266) and relevant theory. Four themes characterised parents’ change narratives: noticing the struggle, being a mindful parent, trying to implement behavioural strategies, and the importance of the relationship. Parents integrated both mindfulness and behavioural principles in their change narratives, varied in which components were most highly valued, and reported mixed success in applying behavioural parenting strategies. Themes supported the construct validity of existing mindful parenting models and measures. Integrating mindfulness components within BPT programs appears to be valued by parents and may represent the next evolution in parenting interventions. <b>What is already known about this topic:</b>Parents whose children are showing behavioural problems need assistance.Mindful parenting has emerged alongside gold standard behavioural programs, and can improve parental emotion regulation and non-judgemental acceptance of child and self.Mindfulness-enhanced behavioural parenting programs have growing empirical support, although no published studies have explored parents’ experiences of these blended programs. Parents whose children are showing behavioural problems need assistance. Mindful parenting has emerged alongside gold standard behavioural programs, and can improve parental emotion regulation and non-judgemental acceptance of child and self. Mindfulness-enhanced behavioural parenting programs have growing empirical support, although no published studies have explored parents’ experiences of these blended programs. <b>What this topic adds:</b>Parents attending an 8-week mindfulness-enhanced behavioural parenting group program described improvement in their child’s behaviour, their relationship with their child, and their awareness and acceptance of themselves and their child.Parents described ongoing difficulties in consistently implementing behavioural strategies and reported using mindfulness to respond rather than react to their children’s problem behaviours.Parents descriptions of change supported the construct validity of models and measures of mindful parenting. Parents attending an 8-week mindfulness-enhanced behavioural parenting group program described improvement in their child’s behaviour, their relationship with their child, and their awareness and acceptance of themselves and their child. Parents described ongoing difficulties in consistently implementing behavioural strategies and reported using mindfulness to respond rather than react to their children’s problem behaviours. Parents descriptions of change supported the construct validity of models and measures of mindful parenting.