'Living in the Present' mindfulness for parents of children with skin conditions: a single group case series.
Olivia Hughes, Katherine H Shelton, Helen Penny, Andrew R Thompson
Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapy November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1017/S1352465824000341
Summary
Mindfulness can significantly alleviate parenting stress for families dealing with childhood skin conditions. In a study involving 10 parents of children with eczema and other dermatological issues, improvements were noted: three parents experienced reduced parenting stress, and six reported enhanced quality of life. Additionally, four children showed increased quality of life. While two parents faced heightened anxiety, thematic analysis indicated positive mood changes linked to mindfulness practice. These findings suggest that mindfulness interventions may benefit stressed parents, despite challenges in maintaining home practice.
Abstract
Parents of children with skin conditions can experience stress from the additional responsibilities of care. However, there is a lack of psychological interventions for families affected by a dermatological diagnosis. To investigate (1) whether delivering the 'Living in the Present' mindfulness curriculum to parents of children with skin conditions reduced stress and increased both parental/child quality of life (QoL), and (2) determine intervention acceptability. Ten parents of children with eczema, ectodermal dysplasia, ichthyosis, and alopecia took part in a mindfulness-based intervention. Using mixed methods, a single-group experimental case design (SCED) was conducted and supplemented by thematic analysis of exit interviews. Parents completed idiographic measures of parenting stress, standardised measures of QoL, stress, mindfulness, and took part in exit interviews. Children also completed QoL measures. Tau-U analysis of idiographic measures revealed three parents showed some significant improvements in positive targets, and five parents showed some significant improvements in negative targets. Assessment of reliable change demonstrated that: one parent showed improvement in mindful parenting, three parents showed improvement in parenting stress, seven parents showed improvement in anxiety, three parents showed improvements in depression, six parents showed improvement in QoL, and four children showed improvement in QoL. However, two parents showed increased anxiety. Thematic analysis revealed positive changes to mood following mindfulness, although challenges were highlighted, including sustaining home practice. Findings suggest this specific form of mindfulness intervention could be effective for parents of children with skin conditions; however, further robust studies are needed.