ACT for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The investigators will develop and pilot test an intervention called ACT for Parents which aims to decrease stress and improve quality of life in parents of children < 15 years who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. A small randomized trial testing phase will be conducted to gather initial data on the treatment feasibility and acceptability, detect treatment effects between groups (ACT for Parents versus Treatment as Usual), and to refine the treatment design for a future clinical trial.

Detailed Description
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an intervention that fosters acceptance of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as a coping strategy, and encourages engagement in valued behavior in the presence of these emotions. ACT has been successfully applied to parents with similar mental health presentations. Using a randomized controlled study design, investigators seek to gather initial data on the treatment feasibility and acceptability, detect treatment effects in a cohort of parents who have a child (under the age of 15) with autism spectrum disorder.

Official Title
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Taking ACTion: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Conditions
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Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: A parent with a child (under the age of 15) with a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder-NOS, Asperger's Disorder or Autistic Disorder Child with ASD diagnosed by a mental health or medical professional Must be comfortable speaking and reading and understanding English Exclusion Criteria: Inability to attend sessions in person on the specified date/time/location of the intervention sessions unwillingness to be audio-taped should randomization into the experimental (ACT) group occur.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: ACT Parent Group<br>Participants will complete a total of five Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - Parent Group Sessions First four are held weekly, last session held one month from 4th session. | Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy<br>* Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an intervention that fosters acceptance of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as a coping strategy, and encourages engagement in valued behavior in the presence of these emotions. ACT has been successfully applied to parents of children with a variety of mental health presentations.<br>* Other names: ACT;|
| No Intervention: Treatment as Usual<br>Treatment as usual-Control | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II Score | The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II, Bond et al., 2011) is a 10-item Likert scale that measures experiential acceptance (i.e., tendency to accept, rather than avoid, uncomfortable internal experiences) in adult samples. | From Basline to Month 2 (post-intervention) and from Month 2 to Month 3 (maintenance) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Group Therapy, Parents, Autism, Quality of Life