A Phone App Based on Acceptance Therapy for Caregivers of Children With Autism

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for the main caregiver (parent or legal guardian) of a child with autism spectrum disorder. It tests a 6-week mobile app program for caregivers' mental health.

Age

18 years or older

Sex

All sexes can join

Disease stage

The child being cared for must have an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis made by a professional (DSM-5).

Earlier treatment

Cannot have taken part in other psychological intervention studies, or have had structured psychological support, in the past 3 months.

Main reasons for not taking part

• The child has a serious organic disease (for example epilepsy or congenital heart disease) or neurological damage
• Taking part in another psychological intervention study now
• Structured psychological support in the past 3 months
• A major negative life event in the past 6 months (for example bereavement, severe financial crisis, natural disaster)

The registry criteria, word for word

What the trial wants to find out

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Heart Voice: Starry Journey" program, a family-centric and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based digital narrative intervention, in improving psychological flexibility and mental health among primary caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The main questions it aims to answer are:

The 2 groups in the trial

• Intervention GroupTreatment being tested

  Participants allocated to this arm will receive access to and use the Heart Voice: Starry Journey mobile application, a digital interactive narrative intervention based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and designed from a family-centric cultural perspective. The intervention period is 6 weeks. Participants are instructed to engage with the application by progressing through its core narrative chapters and completing embedded interactive exercises (e.g., metaphor-based training, perspective-shifting tasks, and values clarification activities). They will complete the program at their own pace on their personal smartphones. In addition to using the application, participants in this arm will complete all scheduled study assessments.

  Treatment: ACT-Based Mobile Application Intervention

• Wait-list Control GroupNo study treatment, for comparison

  Participants allocated to this arm will not receive the Heart Voice: Starry Journey intervention during the active trial period. They will be instructed to continue with their usual care and routines for the duration of the study. They will complete all scheduled study assessments at the same time points as the Intervention Arm. Upon completion of the final follow-up assessment for the entire trial, participants in this arm will be granted full access to the Heart Voice: Starry Journey application.