Acceptance and Commitment Training for Family Caregivers of People with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Protocol for...

Area of Science:

• Implementation science
• Mental health interventions
• Caregiver support

Background:

• Family caregivers of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) experience significant stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Evidence-based interventions to improve caregiver mental well-being are limited.
• The Caring for the Caregiver Acceptance and Commitment Training (CC-ACT) workshop was developed to address this gap, cofacilitated by trained caregivers and clinicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the real-world implementation of the CC-ACT workshop.
• To assess the workshop's impact on caregiver mental health and resilience.
• To examine the intervention across the 5 domains of the RE-AIM framework.

Main Methods:

• The study utilized the RE-AIM framework to examine workshop implementation across 11 Canadian sites.
• CC-ACT workshops were delivered virtually or in-person to family caregivers of individuals with NDDs.
• Quantitative data were collected using validated instruments measuring stress, resilience, and self-compassion, with qualitative data from focus groups.

Main Results:

• The CC-ACT workshops successfully reached 195 caregivers.
• Focus groups were conducted with participants, facilitators, and organizational leaders.
• Anticipated results include positive impacts on caregiver well-being, with findings identifying predictors of outcomes and best practices for scaling the intervention.

Conclusions:

• The CC-ACT workshop shows promise for enhancing the mental well-being of caregivers of individuals with NDDs.
• The RE-AIM framework systematically captured process data, balancing fidelity and adaptation.
• Study findings are expected to refine implementation strategies and support broader scalability of the intervention.