Reducing Parental Stress Via Instant Messaging During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Status: Completed

Conditions: Parenting; Parents; Stress

Treatments: Behavioral: Mindfulness training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05413577

SBRE-20-562

Details and patient eligibility

About

This research investigated the effects of mindfulness practice on mental wellbeing and parenting behaviour, with the instruction recordings delivered via existing instant messaging applications, including Whatsapp and Signal. The two-week mindfulness program targeted parents with children in Nursery, Kindergarten to Primary School. Due to the suspension of schools, work from home policies, parents spend increased amount of time with their children. News reports have indicated that with the mounting care taking responsibilities and downturn of economy amidst the epidemic, parents have been experiencing higher stress that may negatively impact their wellbeing and parent-child relationship. This study delivered an app-based intervention that aims at enhancing mindful parenting at the time of corona, where social distancing is emphasized.

Enrollment: 491 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Parents with at least one child who is in Primary School or below.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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491 participants in 2 patient groups

Experimental Group

Experimental group

Description:

The experimental group was invited to listen to a 15-minute mindfulness instructional recording delivered daily through an instant messaging application and to practice accordingly for 14 consecutive days at their own choice of time and place.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Mindfulness training

Waitlist control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The waitlist control group was only be required to complete the demographic information, pre, post experiment and follow-up questionnaires before they receive the mindfulness training intervention.