Online and Self-Help Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Parents of Children with Chronic Conditions and Developmental Disabilities: What Happens after the Intervention?

We investigated the follow-up (3- and 6-month) intervention effects of two ACT-interventions for parents of children with chronic and developmental conditions. Parents (N = 110) were randomly assigned to the supported iACT (n = 57) or to the Self-help ACT (n = 53). At 3-month follow-up, symptoms of burnout decreased more in the supported iACT group, whereas, unexpectedly, psychological flexibility decreased in both groups. However, at the 6-month follow-up, the iACT group reported decreased symptoms and increased psychological flexibility skills. Online and self-help ACT interventions may be beneficial to this population and decrease their risk of psychopathology.