Eye movements desensitization and reprocessing with finger movements and Elite mobile health software on guilt feeling of parents of children with autism: A randomized trial

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Taking care of an autistic child at home can be tough for parents. They struggle to balance caring for their child and other tasks. This can affect their emotional well-being and cause guilt and other psychological problems. WHAT DOES THE PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing with finger movements can reduce guilt in parents of autistic children. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing with Elite mobile health software movements can reduce guilt in parents of autistic children. The bilateral eye stimulation method using finger movements has a more sustained impact than the Elite app's bilateral stimulation method. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Healthcare providers are encouraged to learn Eye Movements Desensitization and Reprocessing. Healthcare providers are encouraged to use these methods to help with psychological issues in children with autism. Psychiatric nurses are encouraged to utilize this treatment approach for parents of children with autism, as well as to help alleviate feelings of guilt more broadly.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Caring for an autistic child at home can be challenging for parents, as it can make it difficult to balance their responsibilities. This imbalance can negatively affect the emotional well-being of the caregiver and lead to feelings of guilt. While this is a known issue, there may be gaps in knowledge specific to Iran. In this study, a new method was introduced to address this issue.

AIM

This study aimed to examine the impact of desensitization with eye movements and reprocessing (EMDR) on reducing parental guilt among autistic children's families. We aim to examine the effectiveness of two different treatment methods.

METHODS

This study involved 90 parents (60 mothers, 30 fathers) of autistic children randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The two experimental groups received a 45-min intervention session once a week for 3 weeks, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data on feelings of guilt was collected using a questionnaire. After 30 days, both groups took a follow-up test. The data were analysed using statistical software.

RESULTS

This study found that there were significant differences in guilt feelings among different groups of EMDR therapy and a control group. Specifically, no significant differences were observed in the mean guilt scores between the experimental and control groups at the pre-intervention stage (p > .05). However, the experimental groups exhibited significantly lower mean guilt scores immediately after the intervention and 1 month later than the control group (p < .05). Immediately after the intervention and 1 month later, no significant differences were observed between the two experimental groups (p > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study demonstrate the efficacy of desensitization treatment using eye movements and reprocessing in reducing feelings of guilt among autistic children's parents. In the follow-up phase, it seems that the two-way stimulation method with finger movements is more effective than Elite software in terms of the continuity of the effect. Healthcare providers are encouraged to learn and use these methods to help prevent and treat psychological issues in autistic children.

A cross-sectional examination of service complexity in youths with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and psychiatric or medical diagnoses across service sectors

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, life-long, and complex condition. Youth diagnosed with ASD require several supports addressing core symptoms associated with the disorder, but also those resulting from co-occurring mental and physical health conditions. As a result, their care is overseen by numerous professionals spanning various service sectors, but communication between sectors is hindered due to the absence of a standardized assessment system to identify and triage youth to services. A paucity of information surrounding this population's service use lingers and a siloed delivery system persists.

Methods

Using archival data collected from 1,020 youth between 12 and 18 years of age, this study explored service complexity among autistic youth with and without psychiatric and medical co-occurring conditions in Ontario, Canada. In doing so, a negative binomial regression was utilized to investigate which predisposing, enabling, and need variables were associated with service complexity.

Results

Results revealed that experiencing financial difficulties was not associated with service complexity. However, age, sex, caregiver distress, comorbidity, intellectual disability, and evaluated health status were significant predictors. More specifically, female youth and youth with distressed caregivers had greater mental health service complexity scores. Additionally, youth diagnosed with two or more conditions in addition to ASD who required longer durations of programming, controlling for other predictors, had greater mental health service complexity scores. Yet, youth with an intellectual disability had lower service complexity scores.

Discussion

Clinical implications of this study are discussed to inform future investments into mental health efforts for autistic youth.

Introduction to Special Issue “Parenting in the 21st Century”

The nature of parenting and parent–child relationships is often dramatically affected by the historical period in which one raises children [...]