Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention Delivered Via Instant Messaging on Parents' Wellbeing: A Randomized Controlled Trial and Investigation of Moderators

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Parents; Stress
• Interventions: Behavioral: Mindfulness training

• Registration Number: NCT05413538
• Lead Sponsor: Chinese University of Hong Kong

Brief Summary

This research investigates the effects of mindfulness practice on mental wellbeing with the instruction recordings delivered via existing instant messaging applications, Whatsapp. The two-week mindfulness program targets parents with children in Secondary School or below. This research also explores how parenting and attachment styles moderate the intervention effects.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2022-06
• Study First Submitted: 2022-06-04
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-06-07
• Study First Posted: 2022-06-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-06-12
• Last Update Posted: 2022-06-15
• Study Start: 2022-07-01
• Primary Completion: 2022-09-28
• Study Completion: 2022-09-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 200

Inclusion Criteria

Parents with at least one child who is in Secondary School or below

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Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Experimental Group	Mindfulness training	The experimental group will be invited to listen to a 15-minute mindfulness instructional recording delivered daily through an instant messaging application and to practice accordingly for 14 consecutive days at their own choice of time and place.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Nonattachment Scale - Short Form	Change from Baseline Nonattachment Scale - Short Form at immediately after the intervention and two weeks after intervention	Nonattachment Scale measures an individual's release from mental fixations in a flexible, balanced way of relating to one's experiences without clinging to or suppressing them (Chio, Lai, \& Mak, 2018). The minimum score was 0 and the maximum was 48. The higher the score the more nonattached the participant. Higher scores indicate better outcome.
Peace of mind	Change from Baseline Peace of mind Scale - Short Form at immediately after the intervention and two weeks after intervention	Peace of mind scale measures an individual's internal state of peacefulness and harmony (Lee et al., 2013).The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score was 35. Higher scores reflect higher levels of peace of mind. Higher scores indicate better outcome.
Non-attachment to Self Scale	Change from Baseline Non-attachment to Self Scale at immediately after the intervention and two weeks after intervention	Non-attachment to Self Scale measures the absence of fixation on self-related concepts, thoughts and feelings, and a capacity to flexibly interact with these concepts, thoughts and feelings without trying to control them (Whitehead et al., 2018). The minimum score was 0 and the maximum was 49. The higher the score the more nonattached the participant. Higher scores indicate better outcome.
Parental Stress Scale	Change from Baseline Parental Stress Scale at immediately after the intervention and two weeks after intervention	The Parental Stress Scale was used to measure self-perceived stress specific to the parenting role. Parental Stress Scale was originally developed by Berry and Jones (1995) to measure parental feelings and experiences in terms of rewards, satisfaction, controllability, and stress. The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score was 64. A score of 0 represents lowest level of parental stress possible, whereas a score of 64 represents highest level of parental stress. Higher scores indicate worse outcome.
Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale	Change from Baseline Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting scale at immediately after the intervention and two weeks after intervention	The 31-item Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting scale was adopted to measure parents' self-reported engagement in mindful parenting (Duncan, 2007). The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score was 155. A score of 0 represents lowest level of parental mindfulness, whereas a score of 155 represents highest level of parental mindfulness possible. Higher scores indicate better outcome.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form	Change from Baseline The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale - Short Form at immediately after the intervention and two weeks after intervention	The Experience in Close Relationship Scale is a 12 item self-report adult attachment style questionnaire focused on close relationships (Brennan, Clark \& Shaver, 1998). It provides data on two continuous scales concerning the extent to which participants show attachment dimensions: anxiety and avoidance. The scale consists of 12 items which participants respond to on a seven-point scale. The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score for each scale was 72. The lower the score the more securely attached the participant. Higher scores indicate worse outcome.
Training Scale	Change from Baseline Training Scale at immediately after the intervention and two weeks after intervention	The Training Scale measures child-rearing items specific to the Chinese culture (Chao, 1994). The training scale covered two areas, "ideologies on child development and learning" (involving seven items) and "ideologies on the mother-child relationship" (involving six items). The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score was 65. The higher the score the more the participant pertains to chiao shun, or training.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Chinese University of Hong Kong; 🇭🇰 Shatin, Hong Kong