Effects of Caregiver-Focused Programs on Psychosocial Outcomes in Caregivers of Individuals with ASD: A Meta-analysis

The current meta-analysis comprehensively reviewed group-design studies of interventions designed to improve ASD caregiver psychosocial outcomes and explored potential moderators of effectiveness. Forty-one unique studies targeting 1771 caregivers met inclusion criteria. Overall, the interventions had a small positive effect in improving psychosocial outcomes in caregivers of individuals with ASD (within-subjects: Hedges’ g = .44; between-subjects: Hedges’ g = .28). Most intervention approaches demonstrated some evidence of effectiveness. Acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and cognitive behavioral treatments demonstrated the strongest impact in improving caregiver psychosocial outcomes in pre-post comparisons. Although the results provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of caregiver-focused interventions, more studies with larger sample sizes, rigorous research designs, and long-term follow-up assessments are needed.