Introduction:

Caregivers of children with speech-language pathology experience psychological distress as speech impedes communication and interferes children’s development. This study aimed to determine the effects of a oneday mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in reducing depression, anxiety, and stress for caregivers of children with speech-language pathology in a Malaysian hospital.

Methods:

Caregivers (n = 62) who fulfilled the selection criteria were recruited and randomly assigned to either MBI or treatment-as-usual control groups. The caregivers completed self-rated questionnaires, namely the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS 21) and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) before and at one-month post-intervention.

Results:

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated significant improvement in DASS 21 and MAAS scores in the intervention group compared to control group. There were significant improvements at one-month post-intervention in all outcome measures: depression (β = 4.20, ΔR2 = 0.09, p = 0.008, f 2 = 0.10); anxiety (β = 5.12, ΔR2 = 0.13, p = 0.001, f 2 = 0.15); stress (β = 5.36, ΔR2 = 0.14, p <0.001, f 2 = 0.16); mindfulness (β = -5.89, ΔR2 = 0.05, p = 0.022, f 2 = 0.05). Medium effect sizes were observed in anxiety and stress symptoms reduction.

Conclusion:

The one-day MBI was effective in reducing psychological distress for caregivers of children with speech-language pathology.

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