Are mindfulness groups more mindful face to face or online? A comparison of delivering a mindfulness based well-being group for parents of children with a chronic health condition.

Abstract

Mindfulness has been shown to be an effective group intervention for adults and children living with a range of medical conditions. Recently, research has also explored the impact of mindfulness interventions offered to parents of children with health conditions. Few studies have examined whether the mode of delivery (face-to-face vs online) has an impact on outcomes. Four mindfulness based wellbeing courses for parents (MBWP) of children with a chronic medical condition were run (two face to face and two online). All parents (N=37) completed the WHO Well-being Questionnaire and Neff Self-Compassion Scale Questionnaire-Short Form at the beginning and end of each course. Parents' experience of the course was also explored using a semi-structured interview 6weeks after completing the course, with their responses analysed using Thematic analysis. The groups had a statistically significant positive impact on both parent well-being and self-compassion and were equally effective face-to-face or online. All parents reported incorporating informal mindfulness practices into their day-to-day lives 6weeks post-course The qualitative analysis highlighted improvements in present moment focus, kindness to self, and family relationships. Parents valued connecting with other parents of young people with both similar and different medical conditions, within both face-to-face and online groups, increasing the accessibility of MBWP.