Lived Experiences of Parents in Compassionate Mind Training for NDDs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of parents participating in a compassionate mind training group for children with neurodevelopmental disorders: How does the intervention influence parents' self-perceptions and attitudes towards their child's condition?
IRAS ID
353627
Contact name
Laura Hughes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Glasgow
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 0 days
Research summary
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), and Learning Disability (LD) are all types of neurodevelopmental conditions. To understand what "Neurodevelopmental" means, it is helpful to break the word into two parts: Neuro, meaning brain, and Developmental, meaning growth and development (usually starting in childhood). So, "neurodevelopmental" refers to brain-based differences that begin during the developmental stages, often in childhood. These differences can impact how a person learns, behaves, or interacts with others.
Parenting a child with a neurodevelopmental condition can be challenging, and these parents are more likely to have poorer well-being and mental health as a result. Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) aims to boost parents' self-compassion and emotional resilience with the hope that this will positively impact parents' mental health and well-being. This study will examine how parents experience attending a parenting group focused on compassion and whether the group influences how they see themselves or their children.Parents of children (between 0-18 years) with a neurodevelopmental condition who attended the parent group related to compassion (offered by the Community Paediatric Psychology Service and the Neurodevelopmental Empowerment and Strategy Team in NHS Ayrshire and Arran) will be recruited.
After completing the parenting group related to compassion, this study will interview parents of children with a neurodevelopmental disorder. The interview questions will focus on the parents' personal experiences of attending the group and any influence the group materials had on how they see themselves or their child. The researcher will look for patterns in the parent's responses, like common feelings or themes. The researcher will then try to deeply understand what those experiences meant to each person, not just looking at the facts but exploring the thoughts and feelings behind them.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/0693
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion