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Mindfulness-based wellbeing for socio-economically disadvantaged parents: a pre-post pilot study

Catrin Eames (Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, School of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, UK)
Rebecca Crane (Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University, Bangor, UK)
Eluned Gold (Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University, Bangor, UK)
Sophie Pratt (Besti Cadwaladr University Health Board, NHS, Caernarfon, UK)

Journal of Children's Services

ISSN: 1746-6660

Article publication date: 16 March 2015

421

Abstract

Purpose

Behavioural parent training (PT) interventions partially mediate risk factors for the development of child behavioural problems. Mindfulness skills could have benefit in alleviating the impact of these risk factors for parents who are socio-economically disadvantaged. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A pre-post single group comparison of disadvantaged mothers attending the Mindfulness-Based Wellbeing for Parents (MBW-P) programme.

Findings

Changes were observed in facets of parental stress (Parenting Stress Index-Short Form; Abidin, 1995), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II; Beck et al., 1996) and brooding (Ruminative Responses Scale; Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow, 1991), with moderate to large effect sizes and incidences of clinical change.

Research limitations/implications

The research design, although pragmatic, includes a small sample and no control or long-term comparison group.

Social implications

Mothers considered as the “hardest to reach” group in terms of vulnerability, risk factors and being likely to gain from intervention demonstrated positive shifts post-intervention. A targeted mindfulness-based intervention, delivered pragmatically within a health service context, may have benefit in reducing the impact of risk factors on parental wellbeing.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first evaluation of a targeted mindfulness group delivered within routine health care settings, in identified “high risk” areas, by routine staff.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the families and staff who both took part in, and supported, this project. Special thanks to Tom Clarke, Samantha Humphries, Duncan Lewinski, Sarah Robb and Luke Squires for their research support.

Citation

Eames, C., Crane, R., Gold, E. and Pratt, S. (2015), "Mindfulness-based wellbeing for socio-economically disadvantaged parents: a pre-post pilot study", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 17-28. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-09-2014-0040

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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