The Effect of a Micro-Appreciation Intervention (Three-Things Journal Application) on Caregiver Burden, Family Functioning, and Happiness Levels for Mothers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Çukurova University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Parental Stress

Treatments: Behavioral: Positive Event Writing Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07124091

0000-0002-5515-2752

Details and patient eligibility

About

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which individuals experience significant difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Families of children with ASD, especially mothers, face a high level of physical, emotional, and psychological caregiving burden while trying to adapt to their children's developmental needs. Constant caregiving responsibilities increase the risk of burnout, stress, and depression in mothers, while also negatively impacting family functioning and life satisfaction. Mothers of children with ASD require greater emotional resilience, self-regulation, and social support than those in traditional parenting roles.

In this context, interventions that support psychological well-being offer important strategies that can help mothers cope with the burden of care. In recent years, positive psychology-based interventions have been shown to positively contribute to individuals' mental health and are effective in increasing subjective well-being. Positive psychology approaches help individuals recognize and focus on the positive aspects of their lives, reducing stress levels and increasing psychological resilience. One such approach, micro-appreciation interventions, aims to increase individuals' positive emotional experiences by consciously focusing on small but significant positive events they encounter in their daily lives. Micro-appreciation interventions change individuals' perceptual frameworks, encouraging them to focus on positive moments instead of negative experiences. Such interventions stand out as an effective method for reducing the psychological and physiological effects of stress, increasing positive emotions, and improving overall life satisfaction.

One micro-appreciation intervention, the "Three Things Journal," is a simple yet effective strategy that involves individuals writing down three positive events they appreciate in their lives each day. Research has shown that this practice is effective in increasing individuals' awareness of positive experiences, reducing levels of depression and anxiety, and increasing subjective well-being. Regularly experiencing positive emotions strengthens individuals' ability to cope with challenges and increases their psychological resilience and optimism. Especially for individuals under intense stress, such small but regular practices can yield greater psychological benefits in the long term.

Enrollment: 126 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18 years or older
• Willing to participate in the study
• Able to read and understand Turkish
• Being a mother of a child with special needs

Exclusion Criteria:

• Younger than 18 years
• Unwilling to participate in the study
• Unable to read or understand Turkish
• Not having a child with special needs

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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126 participants in 2 patient groups

Positive Event Writing Intervention Group

Experimental group

Description:

Mothers in this group will be asked to write down three positive events each day for four weeks as part of a positive psychology journaling intervention.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Positive Event Writing Intervention

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Mothers in the control group will not receive any intervention.