1. Effectiveness of a Family Management Intervention Program among Families of Children with Autism: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
- Author
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Thi Lan Anh Mai and Nujjaree Chaimongko
- Subjects
FAMILIES & psychology ,SERVICES for caregivers ,EVALUATION of human services programs ,ANALYSIS of variance ,RESEARCH evaluation ,CHILDREN'S hospitals ,BURDEN of care ,TERTIARY care ,PAIRED comparisons (Mathematics) ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,AUTISM ,QUALITY of life ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,REPEATED measures design ,CHI-squared test ,STATISTICAL sampling ,DATA analysis software ,STATISTICAL correlation ,OUTPATIENT services in hospitals - Abstract
An increasing number of children are diagnosed with autism, affecting their family's quality of life and various burdens to family caregivers. Several studies have evaluated the effectiveness of interventions to improve the health conditions of children with autism, but few on family outcomes. This two-group randomized controlled trial determined the effectiveness of a 4-week family-management intervention program on family quality of life and burden among family caregivers of children with autism. Forty caregivers of children diagnosed with autism in Hanoi, Vietnam, were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 20) and a control group (n = 20). The intervention group received a Family Management Intervention Program, in addition to routine care, while the control group received only routine care. The Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale and the Caregiver's Strain Questionnaire were used to measure the outcome variables at three-time points; baseline (week 0), post-intervention immediately (week 4), and follow-up (week 8). Descriptive statistics and 2-way repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that the participants in the intervention group had a significantly higher family quality of life and significantly lower caregiver burden than those in the control group after attending the intervention and remaining overtime. Results provided evidence that the family-management intervention program improved outcomes for families of children with autism. This program needs further testing. After this, nurses and healthcare providers responsible for families and children with autism can integrate this program as part of their services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022