TY - JOUR
T1 - Online psychosocial group intervention for parents: Positive effects on anxiety and depression
AU - Douma, Miriam
AU - Maurice-Stam, Heleen
AU - Gorter, Bianca
AU - Krol, Yvette
AU - Verkleij, Marieke
AU - Wiltink, Lianne
AU - Scholten, Linde
AU - Grootenhuis, Martha A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. Copyright: This record is sourced from MEDLINE/PubMed, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
PY - 2021/2/19
Y1 - 2021/2/19
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of an online psychosocial group intervention for parents of children with a chronic illness, in terms of anxiety and depression, and disease-related coping skills. METHODS: Parents (N = 73) participated in a parallel multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing an intervention group to a waitlist control group. In the group intervention Op Koers Online (English: On Track Online) parents learned how to use adaptive coping strategies taught with cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy techniques. Assessments (online questionnaires) took place at baseline (T0), 6-months (T1), and 12-months (T2) follow-up. Mixed-model analyses were performed to test the difference in change in outcomes between intervention (N = 34) and waitlist control group (N = 33). RESULTS: When compared with the waitlist control group, the intervention had a significant positive effect (p < .05) on changes in anxiety, depression, and total score T1 versus T0 (β = -.47 to -.51) and T2 versus T0 (β = -.39 to -.46), the coping skills open communication, relaxation, social support, acceptance, predictive control (β = .42-.88) and helplessness (β = -.47) T1 versus T0 and relaxation and positive thinking T2 versus T0 (β = .42-.53). CONCLUSIONS: Parental anxiety and depression decreased, and use of adaptive coping skills improved after the intervention. The online character, the focus on parents themselves instead of on their child and the possibility for parents of children with rare illnesses to participate, are innovative and unique aspects of Op Koers Online for parents. The next step is to implement the intervention in clinical practice.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of an online psychosocial group intervention for parents of children with a chronic illness, in terms of anxiety and depression, and disease-related coping skills. METHODS: Parents (N = 73) participated in a parallel multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing an intervention group to a waitlist control group. In the group intervention Op Koers Online (English: On Track Online) parents learned how to use adaptive coping strategies taught with cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy techniques. Assessments (online questionnaires) took place at baseline (T0), 6-months (T1), and 12-months (T2) follow-up. Mixed-model analyses were performed to test the difference in change in outcomes between intervention (N = 34) and waitlist control group (N = 33). RESULTS: When compared with the waitlist control group, the intervention had a significant positive effect (p < .05) on changes in anxiety, depression, and total score T1 versus T0 (β = -.47 to -.51) and T2 versus T0 (β = -.39 to -.46), the coping skills open communication, relaxation, social support, acceptance, predictive control (β = .42-.88) and helplessness (β = -.47) T1 versus T0 and relaxation and positive thinking T2 versus T0 (β = .42-.53). CONCLUSIONS: Parental anxiety and depression decreased, and use of adaptive coping skills improved after the intervention. The online character, the focus on parents themselves instead of on their child and the possibility for parents of children with rare illnesses to participate, are innovative and unique aspects of Op Koers Online for parents. The next step is to implement the intervention in clinical practice.
KW - anxiety
KW - chronic illness
KW - coping skills
KW - depression
KW - parents
KW - psychosocial group intervention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102214328&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa102
DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa102
M3 - Article
C2 - 33230541
SN - 0146-8693
VL - 46
SP - 123
EP - 134
JO - Journal of pediatric psychology
JF - Journal of pediatric psychology
IS - 2
ER -