Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Eczema Management Program for Children With Eczema: A Pilot Randomised Controlled...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dermatology
• Psychological Interventions
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Eczema significantly impacts children's quality of life, often accompanied by overlooked psychological stress.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a supplementary approach to manage these psychological challenges.
• The Family ACT-based Eczema Management Program (FACT-EMP) was developed to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the FACT-EMP.
• To assess the preliminary effectiveness of FACT-EMP in managing childhood eczema.
• To examine improvements in clinical outcomes and psychological well-being for children and parents.

Main Methods:

• A pilot randomized controlled trial involving parents and children (6-12 years) with eczema.
• Participants were assigned to either the FACT-EMP group (ACT sessions + education) or a waitlist control group.
• Feasibility assessed via recruitment/retention rates; effectiveness measured by SCORAD, parental self-efficacy, distress, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• Recruitment, retention, and completion rates were 43.1%, 87.2%, and 76.9%, respectively.
• No immediate difference in SCORAD scores, but significant improvement at 3 months post-intervention in the FACT-EMP group.
• Significant improvements in parental self-efficacy were observed immediately and at 3 months post-intervention for the FACT-EMP group.

Conclusions:

• The FACT-EMP demonstrates potential feasibility and acceptability in managing childhood eczema.
• The program appears effective in improving children's eczema symptoms over a 3-month period.
• FACT-EMP significantly enhances parental self-efficacy in managing childhood eczema.