Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training to reduce parental burnout and support child well-being

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a randomized controlled trial comparing an ACT-based parenting program (with a parallel group for children) to a control condition in Hong Kong families identified by school social workers as at risk of domestic violence or emotional distress. The parent program uses mindfulness, values-based parenting, and cognitive defusion techniques to increase psychological flexibility and reduce burnout, while children participate in group sessions aimed at emotional regulation and resilience. Outcomes include feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, changes in parental burnout, and children's emotional and behavioral adjustment measured at baseline and up to three months post-intervention. Sessions are delivered in Cantonese at community and university partner sites.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

For the Parent ACT Group:

1. Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong residents between the ages of 19 and 65 years.
2. Primary caregivers of a child aged 3 to 11 years.
3. Have been identified by school social workers as being at risk of domestic violence or experiencing emotional distress.

For the Child ACT Group:

1. Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong residents between the ages of 3 and 11 years.
2. Have been identified by school social workers as being at risk of domestic violence or experiencing emotional distress.

For both groups (Shared inclusion criteria):

1. Participants must have sufficient Cantonese language proficiency to understand and communicate during the intervention.
2. Both parents and children must provide informed consent to participate in the study and all related assessments.

Exclusion Criteria:

For the Parent ACT Group:

1. Parents diagnosed with severe mental illnesses.
2. Parents with a developmental disability that interferes with their ability to comprehend the program's content.
3. Parents with cognitive, language, communication, visual, or hearing impairments or disorders that could impede their understanding of the intervention content; or
4. Parents currently participate in other psychosocial, psychoeducational, or parenting interventions.
5. Parents with active substance abuse issues that may interfere with their ability to participate in or benefit from the program.
6. Parents whose children have been diagnosed with psychological or medical conditions.

For the Child ACT Group:

1\. Children who have been diagnosed with psychological or medical conditions.

For both groups (Shared Exclusion criteria):

1. Families who are unable or unwilling to commit to attending the six-week sessions or completing follow-up assessments.
2. Families who lack access to transportation or other necessary resources to attend the intervention sessions
3. Parents and children who cannot understand or communicate in the language used in the intervention and assessments (i.e., Cantonese and Chinese).

Where it's running

• Harmony House Limited
  Kwun Tong, Hong Kong Recruiting
• Chinese University of Hong Kong
  Shatin, Hong Kong Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Yuen Yu CHONG, PhD
• Email: conniechong@cuhk.edu.hk
• Phone: (852) 3943 0665

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.