Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Parents of Children With Developmental Delays: A Follow-Up Study

Parents of children with developmental delays (DD) consistently report higher levels of stress compared to parents of typically developing children. Elevated parenting stress is concerning, not only because of the associated poorer physical and mental health outcomes for the parents but also because of its role in the development of behavior problems and subsequent psychopathology in their children. A growing body of research suggests that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is effective in reducing parenting stress and child behavior problems among families of children with DD; however, there is a shortage of studies examining whether the effects of MBSR in this population are maintained in the longer term. In the current study, we used a waitlist-control design to examine whether MBSR directly improved parental mental health (i.e., parenting stress, depression, and satisfaction with life) and indirectly reduced child externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Eighty parents of children with DD between the ages of 2.5 and 5 (M = 4.18, SD = 1.01) were randomly assigned to an immediate treatment group or a waitlist-control group. Results indicated that parents who received MBSR reported significantly greater improvements in mental health outcomes as well as reduced child behaviors related to attention and withdrawn behaviors compared to parents in the control group. Further, changes seen through MBSR were maintained at a 6-month follow-up assessment. These findings suggest that improvements in parent and child outcomes through MBSR may have longer term benefits for families of children with DD.