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The Effect of a Micro-Appreciation Intervention (Three-Things Journal Application) on Caregiver Burden, Family Functioning, and Happiness Levels for Mothers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

NCT07124091 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 126

Last updated 2025-08-15

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which individuals experience significant difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Families of children with ASD, especially mothers, face a high level of physical, emotional, and psychological caregiving burden while trying to adapt to their children's developmental needs. Constant caregiving responsibilities increase the risk of burnout, stress, and depression in mothers, while also negatively impacting family functioning and life satisfaction. Mothers of children with ASD require greater emotional resilience, self-regulation, and social support than those in traditional parenting roles.

In this context, interventions that support psychological well-being offer important strategies that can help mothers cope with the burden of care. In recent years, positive psychology-based interventions have been shown to positively contribute to individuals' mental health and are effective in increasing subjective well-being. Positive psychology approaches help individuals recognize and focus on the positive aspects of their lives, reducing stress levels and increasing psychological resilience. One such approach, micro-appreciation interventions, aims to increase individuals' positive emotional experiences by consciously focusing on small but significant positive events they encounter in their daily lives. Micro-appreciation interventions change individuals' perceptual frameworks, encouraging them to focus on positive moments instead of negative experiences. Such interventions stand out as an effective method for reducing the psychological and physiological effects of stress, increasing positive emotions, and improving overall life satisfaction.

One micro-appreciation intervention, the "Three Things Journal," is a simple yet effective strategy that involves individuals writing down three positive events they appreciate in their lives each day. Research has shown that this practice is effective in increasing individuals' awareness of positive experiences, reducing levels of depression and anxiety, and increasing subjective well-being. Regularly experiencing positive emotions strengthens individuals' ability to cope with challenges and increases their psychological resilience and optimism. Especially for individuals under intense stress, such small but regular practices can yield greater psychological benefits in the long term.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Positive Event Writing Intervention

Mothers in the intervention group will be asked to write down three positive events each day for four weeks as part of a positive psychology journaling activity..

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Cukurova University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-05-30
Primary Completion
2025-08-30
Completion
2025-08-30

Countries

  • Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07124091 on ClinicalTrials.gov