Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Mindfulness Therapies for Improving Mental Health in Parents of Children with a Developmental Disability: a Systematic Review

  • REVIEW ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mindfulness offers promise as a therapy approach for parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD), however its effectiveness in managing mental health symptoms remains unclear. This review quantitatively examines the comparative effectiveness of mindfulness-based and informed interventions, drawing on the evidence base from randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Eight RCTs were identified from the Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus databases. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool and Hedges’ g effect sizes, with associated 95% confidence intervals and p values calculated. Parents who completed Mindful Parenting or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programs reported immediate and large to very large reductions in psychological distress (gw range: .39–1.94), with some improvements maintained up to 6 months post-treatment. A single study reported short-term benefits with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Evidence for the mental health benefits of mindfulness for parents of children with DD is still at an early stage. Controlled trials are needed to determine the differential effects of specific mindfulness techniques and how to best adapt this approach to best meet the unique needs of a vulnerable caregiver population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

* indicates reference included in this review

  • Abidin, R. (2012) Parenting stress index. Fourth Edition. Lutz: PAR.

  • Ali, A., Hassiotis, A., Strydom, A., & King, M. (2012). Self stigma in people with intellectual disabilities and courtesy stigma in family carers: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33(6), 2122–2140.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arora, S., Goodall, S., Viney, R., Einfeld, S., & MHYPEDD team. (2020). Health-related quality of life amongst primary caregivers of children with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64(2), 103–116.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, B. L., Blacher, J., & Olsson, M. B. (2005). Preschool children with and without developmental delay: Behaviour problems, parents’ optimism and well-being. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 49(8), 575–590.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Basso, J. C., McHale, A., Ende, V., Oberlin, D. J., & Suzuki, W. A. (2019). Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behavioural Brain Research, 356, 208–220.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • *Behbahani, M., Zargar, F., Assarian, F., & Akbari, H. (2018). Effects of mindful parenting training on clinical symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and parenting stress: Randomized controlled trial. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 43(6), 596, 604.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Benn, R., AKiva, T., Arel, S., & Roeser, R. W. (2012). Mindfulness training effects for parents and educators of children with special needs. Developmental Psychology, 48(5), 1476 87.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blackledge, J. T., & Hayes, S. C. (2006). Using acceptance and commitment training in the support of parents of children diagnosed with autism. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 28(1), 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bögels, S., & Restifo, K. (2013). Mindful parenting: A guide for mental health practitioners. New York: Springe-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borenstein, M., Hedges, L., Higgins, J., & Rothstein. (2013). Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 3. NJ: Biostat, Englewood.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooker, J., Julian, J., Webber, L., Chan, J., Shawyer, F., & Meadows, G. (2013). Evaluation of an occupational mindfulness program for staff employed in the disability sector in Australia. Mindfulness, 4, 122–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0112-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, T. A., Chorpita, B. F., Korotitsch, W., & Barlow, D. H. (1997). Psychometric properties of the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) in clinical samples. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35(1), 79–89.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cachia, R. L., Anderson, A., & Moore, D. W. (2016). Mindfulness, stress and well-being in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(1), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carmody, J., & Baer, R. A. (2009). How long does a mindfulness-based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(6), 627–638.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cavanagh, K., Strauss, C., Cicconi, F., Griffiths, N., Wyper, A., & Jones, F. (2013). A randomised controlled trial of a brief online mindfulness-based intervention. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 51(9), 573–578.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • *Chan, N., & Neece, C. L. (2018). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for parents of children with developmental delays: A follow-up study. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 3(1), 16–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, M. J., Hare, D. J., Caton, S., Donalds, D., McInnis, E., & Mitchell, D. (2013). The use of mindfulness with people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review and narrative analysis. Mindfulness, 4, 179–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: A review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 593–600.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2010). A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations. Psychological Medicine, 40(8), 1239–1252.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2011). Mindfulness based cognitive therapy for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 187(3), 441–453.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiesa, A., Calati, R., & Serretti, A. (2011). Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities? A systematic review of neuropsychological findings. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(3), 449–464.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155–159.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • *Dykens, E. M., Fisher, M. H., Taylor, J. L., Lambert, W., & Miodrag, N. (2014). Reducing distress in mothers of children with autism and other disabilities: A randomized trial. Pediatrics, 134(2), e454-e463.

  • *Ferraioli, S. J., & Harris, S. L. (2013). Comparative effects of mindfulness and skills-based parent training programs for parents of children with autism: Feasibility and preliminary outcome data. Mindfulness, 4(2), 89–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fydrich, T., Dowdall, D., & Chambless, D. L. (1992). Reliability and validity of the Beck anxiety inventory. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 6(1), 55–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gu, J., Strauss, C., Bond, R., & Cavanagh, K. (2015). How do mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction improve mental health and wellbeing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of mediation studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 37, 1–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hariton, E., & Locascio, J. J. (2018). Randomised controlled trials - the gold standard for effectiveness research. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 125(13), 1716. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.15199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartley, M., Dorstyn, D., & Due, C. (2019). Mindfulness for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers: A meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(10), 4306–4319.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hastings, R. P. (2002). Parental stress and behaviour problems of children with developmental disability. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 27(3), 149–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy, relational frame theory, and the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapies. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 639–665.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hedges, L. V. (1982). Estimation of effect size from a series of independent experiments. Psychological Bulletin, 92(2), 490–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins, J. P., Altman, D. G., Gøtzsche, P. C., Jüni, P., Moher, D., Oxman, A. D., et al. (2011). The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. British Medical Journal, 343, d5928.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: The program of the stress reduction clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. New York: Delta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, D., & Toner, B. (2013). A systematic review of gender differences in the effectiveness of mindfulness-based treatments for substance use disorders. Mindfulness, 4, 318–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keng, S. L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1041–1056.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lazar, S. W., Kerr, C. E., Wasserman, R. H., Gray, J. R., Greve, D. N., Treadway, M. T., Gray, J. R., Greve, D. N., Treadway, M. T., McGarvey, M., Quinn, B. T., Dusek, J. A., Benson, H., Rauch, S. L., Moore, C. I., & Fischl, B. (2005). Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. NeuroReport, 16, 1893–1897.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P., et al. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: Explanation and elaboration. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000100.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay, E. K., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mechanisms of mindfulness training: Monitor and acceptance theory (MAT). Clinical Psychology Review, 51, 48–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • *Lo, H. H. M., Chan, S. K. C., Szeto, M. P., Chan, C. Y. H., & Choi, C. W. (2017). A feasibility study of a brief mindfulness-based program for parents of preschool children with developmental disabilities. Mindfulness, 8(6), 1665–1673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Lo, H. H., Wong, S. W., Wong, J. Y., Yeung, J. W., Snel, E., & Wong, S. Y. (2020). The effects of family-based mindfulness intervention on ADHD symptomology in young children and their parents: A randomized control trial. Journal of Attention Disorders, 24(5), 667–680.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • *Mak, C., Whittingham, K., Cunnington, R., & Boyd, R. N. (2018). Effect of mindfulness yoga programme MiYoga on attention, behaviour, and physical outcomes in cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 60(9), 922–932.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, W. R. (2014). Neural mechanisms of mindfulness and meditation: Evidence from neuroimaging studies. World Journal of Radiology, 6(7), 471–479.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Munder, T., & Barth, J. (2018). Cochrane’s risk of bias tool in the context of psychotherapy outcome research. Psychotherapy Research, 28(3), 347–355.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • *Neece, C. L. (2014). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for parents of young children with developmental delays: Implications for parental mental health and child behavior problems. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 27(2), 174–186.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neece, C. L., Green, S. A., & Baker, B. L. (2012). Parenting stress and child behavior problems: A transactional relationship across time. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 117(1), 48–66.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Orwin, R. G. (1983). A fail-safe N for effect size in meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Statistics, 8(2), 157–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osborn, R., Roberts, L., & Kneebone, I. (2019). Barriers to accessing mental health treatment for parents of children with intellectual disabilities: A preliminary study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–7.

  • Pakdaman, S. N., Bögels, S., & Restifo, K. (2014). Mindful parenting: A guide for mental health practitioners (p. 328). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., Jenkins, Z. M., & Ski, C. F. (2017). Mindfulness mediates the physiological markers of stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 95, 156–178.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Plant, K. M., & Sanders, M. R. (2007). Predictors of care-giver stress in families of preschool-aged children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 51(2), 109–124.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rayan, A., & Ahmad, M. (2018). Mindfulness and parenting distress among parents of children with disabilities: A literature review. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 54(2), 324–330.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reeves, B. C., Wells, G. A., & Waddington, H. (2017). Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 5: A checklist for classifying studies evaluating the effects on health interventions-a taxonomy without labels. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 89, 30–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.02.016.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ridner, S. H. (2004). Psychological distress: Concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 45(5), 536–545.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rojiani, R., Santoyo, J. F., Rahrig, H., Roth, H. D., & Britton, W. B. (2017). Women benefit more than men in response to college-based meditation training. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 551.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, M. R., Mazzucchelli, T. G., & Studman, L. (2004). Stepping stones triple P. An evidence-based positive parenting program for families with a child who has a disability: Its theoretical basis and development. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 29, 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapero, B. G., Greenberg, J., Pedrelli, P., de Jong, M., & Desbordes, G. (2018). Mindfulness-based interventions in psychiatry. Focus, 16(1), 32–39.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Veritas Health Innovation (n.d.). Covidence Systematic Review Software. Melbourne, Australia. Available at www.covidence.org

  • *Whittingham, K., Sanders, M., McKinlay, L., & Boyd, R. N. (2014). Interventions to reduce behavioral problems in children with cerebral palsy: An RCT. Pediatrics, 133(5), e1249-e1257.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • *Whittingham, K., Sanders, M. R., McKinlay, L., & Boyd, R. N. (2015). Parenting intervention combined with acceptance and commitment therapy: A trial with families of children with cerebral palsy. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 41(5), 531–542.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • *Whittingham, K., Sanders, M. R., McKinlay, L., & Boyd, R. N. (2019). Parenting intervention combined with acceptance and commitment therapy: Processes of change. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(6), 1673–1680.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodman, A. C., Mawdsley, H. P., & Hauser-Cram, P. (2015). Parenting stress and child behavior problems within families of children with developmental disabilities: Transactional relations across 15 years. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 36, 264–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2018). International Classification of Diseases for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (11th Revision). Retrieved from https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en

  • Zaidman-Zait, A., Mirenda, P., Zumbo, B. D., Wellington, S., Dua, V., & Kalynchuk, K. (2010). An item response theory analysis of the parenting stress index-short form with parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51(11), 1269–1277.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman, M. (1986). The stability of the revised Beck depression inventory in college students: Relationship with life events. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 10(1), 37–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia

    Raphaella Osborn, Lynette Roberts & Ian Kneebone

  2. School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Diana Dorstyn

Authors
  1. Raphaella Osborn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Diana Dorstyn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lynette Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ian Kneebone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ian Kneebone.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report..

Ethical Approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. This work was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

Informed Consent

All authors have reviewed the manuscript and agreed to the order of authors as listed on the title page.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 114 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Osborn, R., Dorstyn, D., Roberts, L. et al. Mindfulness Therapies for Improving Mental Health in Parents of Children with a Developmental Disability: a Systematic Review. J Dev Phys Disabil 33, 373–389 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-020-09753-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-020-09753-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation