Mindfulness-based skills training group for parents of obsessive-compulsive disorder-affected children: A caregiver-focused intervention

Abstract

Background and purposeParents of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) report significant emotional and socio-occupational impacts. There is, however, currently insufficient support for these parents. This study examined a mindfulness-based intervention for parents of OCD-affected children, investigating its feasibility and impact on parental ability to tolerate their child's OCD-related distress, in addition to exploring potential indirect effects. Materials and methodsParents of OCD-affected children (n = 39) completed an eight-week baseline observation period followed by eight, weekly manualized mindfulness-based intervention group sessions. Measures of parental tolerance of child distress, dispositional mindfulness, family accommodation, family functioning, and OCD symptom severity were collected. ResultsIn comparison to the baseline observation period, parental tolerance of child distress and dispositional mindfulness significantly improved following mindfulness training. No other temporal differences were observed. Parents reported high satisfaction. ConclusionMindfulness-based skills training for parents of OCD-affected youth appears to be feasible and to significantly increase tolerance related to the child's distress. Clinical trial registration numberNCT03212703.