Feasibility of Culturally Adapted, Nurse-Led COPE Intervention on Psychological Wellbeing of Primary Caregivers of Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder (CASD)
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 招募中
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 77
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Change in Depression Score
研究概览
简要总结
This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a culturally adapted, nurse-led Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment (COPE) intervention to improve the psychological wellbeing of primary caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Pakistan. The study will use an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design comprising a qualitative needs assessment followed by a pilot randomized controlled feasibility trial. Qualitative interviews will identify caregivers' training needs and inform the cultural adaptation of the COPE intervention. Eligible caregivers will then be randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving the culturally adapted COPE program in addition to routine care or a control group receiving routine care alone. The intervention consists of four weekly nurse-led sessions focusing on psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, coping strategies, positive parenting, emotional regulation, and family resilience. Psychological wellbeing will be assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) at baseline and one month after the intervention. The study will also evaluate recruitment, retention, intervention adherence, acceptability, and implementation feasibility to inform the design of a future definitive randomized controlled trial.
详细描述
Parents and primary caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently experience substantial psychological distress due to the long-term demands of caregiving, including elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. In Pakistan, limited access to structured caregiver support programs, inadequate mental health services, financial constraints, and social stigma further increase caregiver burden. Although previous parent-mediated interventions conducted in Pakistan have demonstrated benefits for child developmental outcomes, few have specifically addressed the psychological wellbeing of caregivers. The Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment (COPE) program is an evidence-based, nurse-led psychoeducational intervention designed to improve parental coping, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and confidence through cognitive-behavioral strategies and structured education. This study seeks to culturally adapt the COPE intervention to ensure its relevance and acceptability within the Pakistani context.
The study will employ an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. In the first phase, qualitative semi-structured interviews will be conducted with primary caregivers of children with ASD to identify their educational and psychosocial support needs. Findings from the thematic analysis will be used to culturally adapt the COPE intervention. In the second phase, a pilot randomized controlled feasibility trial will be conducted in which eligible caregivers will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving the culturally adapted nurse-led COPE program in addition to routine hospital care or a control group receiving routine hospital care alone. The intervention will comprise four weekly sessions of approximately 45 minutes each, covering understanding ASD, cognitive restructuring, coping strategies, positive parenting, emotional support, and long-term family resilience.
Baseline and one-month follow-up assessments will be conducted using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) to evaluate changes in depression, anxiety, and stress. In addition to clinical outcomes, the study will assess feasibility indicators including participant recruitment, retention, intervention adherence, acceptability, and implementation. Qualitative data will be analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach, while quantitative data will be analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27 with appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The findings will provide essential evidence regarding the feasibility and acceptability of the culturally adapted nurse-led COPE intervention and will inform the planning of a fully powered randomized controlled trial aimed at improving the psychological wellbeing of caregivers of children with ASD in Pakistan.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- None
盲法说明
This is an open-label pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial. Due to the nature of the behavioral intervention, participants, care providers, and investigators will be aware of treatment allocation. Outcome assessments will be based on participant-completed questionnaires.
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Male or female primary caregivers aged 18 years or older.
- •Primary caregiver of a child with a confirmed diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
- •Able to communicate in Urdu.
- •Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
- •Available to attend all intervention sessions and follow-up assessments.
排除标准
- •Caregivers currently participating in another structured psychosocial, behavioral, or parenting intervention.
- •Caregivers with a diagnosed severe psychiatric illness or cognitive impairment that would interfere with participation.
- •Caregivers unable to communicate effectively in Urdu.
- •Caregivers who decline or are unable to provide informed consent.
- •Caregivers who are unavailable to complete the intervention or follow-up assessments.
结局指标
主要结局
Change in Depression Score
时间窗: Baseline and 1 month after completion of the intervention.
Change in depression score measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) Depression subscale. The depression subscale consists of 7 items, each scored from 0 (Did not apply to me at all) to 3 (Applied to me very much or most of the time). The summed subscale score is multiplied by 2, yielding a final score ranging from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptoms. The primary outcome is the change in depression score from baseline to one-month follow-up between the intervention and control groups.
Anxiety
时间窗: Baseline and 1 month after completion of the intervention.
Change in anxiety score measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) Anxiety subscale. The anxiety subscale consists of 7 items, each scored from 0 (Did not apply to me at all) to 3 (Applied to me very much or most of the time). The summed subscale score is multiplied by 2, yielding a final score ranging from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptoms. The primary outcome is the change in anxiety score from baseline to one-month follow-up between the intervention and control groups
Stress
时间窗: Baseline and 1 month after completion of the intervention.
Change in stress score measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) Stress subscale. The stress subscale consists of 7 items, each scored from 0 (Did not apply to me at all) to 3 (Applied to me very much or most of the time). The summed subscale score is multiplied by 2, yielding a final score ranging from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater stress symptoms. The primary outcome is the change in stress score from baseline to one-month follow-up between the intervention and control groups.
次要结局
未报告次要终点