Sharing our paper rdcu.be/cdknw evaluating virtual group based mindfulness course for family caregivers of older autistic youth & adults w @ProfRHastings @DrJonathanWeiss @CarlyAlbaum @suehutton_msw Wei Wang, Amy Baskin & Lee Steel - a thread on what we found .. 1/11
Our first @camhnews mindfulness study showed the importance of bringing families in similar situations together, recognizing the realities of caregiving while learning mindfulness - group was acceptable to families and led to reduced distress 2/11 link.springer.com/article/10.100…
We then found that parents who participated in this mindfulness course reported greater reductions in distress, which remained 3 months after, compared to parents who attended a 6-week support and information program 3/11 link.springer.com/article/10.100…
Co-author and parent advisor Lee Steel explained the impact of this in person course beautifully back in 2017... 4/11 cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
However, an adapted mindfulness program for parents of adults w developmental disabilities is not easy for every family to access, especially if they live far or have too many caregiving demands – Lots of apps out there, but what about value of meeting together as a group?.. 5/11
We worked together with two parent advisors to adapt our in-person program for virtual, so we could offer it across the country and remove some of the in person barriers. Here’s what we found (note that this was pre-covid before all of us pivoted toward gathering online).. 6/11
We were able to recruit participants for this new kind of course. It wasn’t for everyone – there were several families who signed up but never attended or only came for the first session. Sometimes it was the technology, sometimes it was the ongoing caregiving demands. .. 7/11
But families who attended at least half of the program (“completers”) reported high satisfaction rates, and described the benefits of the technology, the connections they felt with other families, and the benefits of mindfulness training. ..8/11
Parents reported reduced stress & depressive symptoms, and improved mindfulness & self- compassion, which remained 3 months later. When we compared changes in "virtual" parents to parents who were in our in-person course prior, we didn't see differences btwn the two groups.. 9/11
Based on what we learned, we have refined our program and are continuing to study this intervention; Virtual care is here to stay and we need to learn more about how it works, and for whom. ..10/11
Lessons: 1. It is important to work in partnership w families to figure out what works best for them 2. We can deliver mindfulness & build connections virtually that can be helpful for families 3. This topic needs more research - the mental health of family caregivers matter!/end
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