Construction and Preliminary Application of Mindfulness-based Emotional Regulation Intervention Scheme for Adolescents With Anxiety Disorder and Caregivers

Summary

Purpose：Aiming to improve the emotional regulation abilities of adolescents with AD and caregivers, reduce anxiety levels, and play an important role in promoting the recovery of adolescents with AD and the mental and physical health of parents.

Methods：This study is divided into two parts. In Part One, a mindfulness-based emotional regulation intervention program for adolescents with anxiety disorders and their caregivers was developed. Drawing on family systems theory, the mindfulness coping model, and Gross's emotion regulation process model, a systematic literature review was conducted to extract the main contents of the intervention program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 pairs of adolescents with AD and their caregivers to identify emotional regulation issues and intervention needs, forming a preliminary draft of the mindfulness-based emotional regulation intervention program for adolescents with anxiety disorders and their caregivers. Fifteen experts were invited to participate in Delphi consultations, and based on pre-experimental feedback, the intervention program was further refined to produce a pilot intervention protocol.

In Part Two, the feasibility and effectiveness of the mindfulness-based emotional regulation intervention for adolescents with anxiety disorders and their caregivers were preliminarily assessed. Using a randomized controlled trial design, 78 pairs of adolescents with AD and their caregivers who met the inclusion criteria were selected from the Children and Adolescent Psychological Unit at the Third Hospital of Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. They were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=39 pairs) receiving a 6-week mindfulness-based emotional regulation intervention or the control group (n=39 pairs) receiving routine hospital care. During the intervention period, 4 adolescents with AD and 5 caregivers withdrew from the intervention group, while 2 adolescents with AD and 3 caregivers withdrew from the control group. Assessments were conducted at baseline (T0), immediately post-intervention (T1), and one month post-intervention (T2) using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), and Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire (MIPQ) for both adolescents with AD and their caregivers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, employing descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and generalized estimating equations to compare the intervention effects.

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Mindfulness
• Emotional Regulation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mindfulness-based emotional regulation intervention

The intervention was conducted once a week for 6 weeks, with each session lasting 90-120 minutes, including a 30-minute parenting course each week. The intervention program was divided into 6 themes, including "Entering mindfulness, feeling the connection between emotions and the body", "Dealing with negative emotions", "Moderate emotional expression", "Mindfulness to relieve anxiety", "Learning to be grateful" and "Embrace future life". The intervention content integrates mindfulness training, parental mindful parenting exercises and emotion regulation skills. For details, refer to Greenland's "Mindfulness Games", Bögels' "Mindful Parenting Manual", mindful breathing and meditation in MBSR and MBCT, as well as emotion regulation skills. The intervention location was the activity room of the child and adolescent psychology unit of the hospital.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Zhan Yuxin

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

12 Years

Max Age

50 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-06-01

Primary Completion

2024-02-01

Completion

2024-03-01

Countries

• China

Study Locations