Citation

Lo HHM, Tam CHL, Lau ENS, Ngai SW, Chan SHW, Leung BFH, Wong ET, Wong EWY, Wong GOC, Cho WC, Tsang AWK, Singh NN. Mindfulness (N Y) 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s12671-021-01790-7

PMID

34873419

PMCID

PMC8636787

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The social unrest that began in Hong Kong in 2019 became a threat to public mental health, such as for depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. A supportive family environment is the most effective protective factor for mental health problems for young people who are exposed to conflict and violence. This study investigated the outcomes of a brief mindful parenting workshop on parent mental health and family functioning.

METHODS: Using a randomized controlled trial design, 54 parents of adolescents and young adults were randomized into intervention group and waitlist control group. Depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms, negative emotions, family functioning, and family conflicts were measured at baseline (pretest), following training, and at 3-month follow-up.

RESULTS: We found a significant improvement in family functioning among parents in the intervention group when compared to those parents in the control group (F [1, 51] = 4.41, p = .04). When we further controlled the child-initiated physical conflict as covariate, a significant reduction of self-rated levels of depressive symptoms was found in the parents from the intervention group when compared to the parents in the control group (F [1, 49] = 5.14, p = .03).

CONCLUSIONS: We found preliminary evidence that a brief mindful parenting workshop can strengthen parent and family mental health at times of social unrest. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04427683).

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescents; Parents; Mindful parenting; Mindfulness-based intervention; Social unrest