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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Parents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Arpita Parmar

    (Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
    Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada)

  • Kayla Esser

    (Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
    Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada)

  • Lesley Barreira

    (Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
    Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
    Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON LS8 4L8, Canada)

  • Douglas Miller

    (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON LS8 4L8, Canada)

  • Leora Morinis

    (Institute of Health, Policy, Management & Evaluation, Univeristy of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA)

  • Yuen-Yu Chong

    (The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China)

  • Wanda Smith

    (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON LS8 4L8, Canada)

  • Nathalie Major

    (Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada)

  • Paige Church

    (Divison of Neonatology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada)

  • Eyal Cohen

    (Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
    Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
    Institute of Health, Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
    Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P7, Canada)

  • Julia Orkin

    (Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
    Child Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
    Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P7, Canada)

Abstract

Context: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an emerging treatment for improving psychological well-being. Objective: To summarize research evaluating the effects of ACT on psychological well-being in children with special health care needs (SHCN) and their parents. Data Sources: An electronic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid/EMBASE and PsycINFO (January 2000–April 2021). Study Selection: Included were studies that assessed ACT in children with SHCN (ages 0–17y) and/or parents of children with SHCN and had a comparator group. Data Extraction: Descriptive data were synthesized and presented in a tabular format, and data on relevant outcomes (e.g., depressive symptoms, stress, avoidance and fusion) were used in the meta-analyses to explore the effectiveness of ACT (administered independently with no other psychological therapy) compared to no treatment. Results: Ten studies were identified (child (7) and parent (3)). In children with SHCN, ACT was more effective than no treatment at helping depressive symptoms (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −4.27, 95% CI: −5.20, −3.34; p < 0.001) and avoidance and fusion (SMD = −1.64, 95% CI: −3.24, −0.03; p = 0.05), but not stress. In parents of children with SHCN, ACT may help psychological inflexibility (SMD = −0.77, 95% CI: −1.07, −0.47; p < 0.01). Limitations: There was considerable statistical heterogeneity in three of the six meta-analyses. Conclusions: There is some evidence that ACT may help with depressive symptoms in children with SHCN and psychological inflexibility in their parents. Research on the efficacy of ACT for a variety of children with SHCN and their parents is especially limited, and future research is needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Arpita Parmar & Kayla Esser & Lesley Barreira & Douglas Miller & Leora Morinis & Yuen-Yu Chong & Wanda Smith & Nathalie Major & Paige Church & Eyal Cohen & Julia Orkin, 2021. "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Parents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-19, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:15:p:8205-:d:607307
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