ACT-based program helps parents of children with disabilities handle stress, randomized trial shows

Article excerpt

Parents of children with ADHD, autism, and other disabilities who completed the Navigator ACT program, a therapy focused on acceptance and behavioral change, reported less stress and greater psychological flexibility, according to a randomized trial from Karolinska Institutet published in Autism Research. The intervention, which teaches parents to manage difficult emotions while staying focused on their values, showed measurable benefits in helping participants become the caregivers they wanted to be, according to first author Tiina Holmberg Bergman.