Parental mindfulness and wellbeing in childhood psoriasis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the relationship between parental mindfulness, parental quality of life, and childhood quality of life in childhood psoriasis.
IRAS ID
237241
Contact name
Andrew Thompson
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 20 days
Research summary
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that affects around 2% of children (Mahe, 2016). Childhood psoriasis is associated with poorer mental health and quality of life in both children and their parents (Tollefson et al., 2017). Parental stress, in particular, appears to be an important contributing factor to poorer mental health and poorer skin condition in children (Cousino & Hazen, 2013; Emerson & Bögels, 2017). Little research has investigated factors which may reduce parental stress. Identifying such factors is crucial for informing interventions designed to improve child and adult quality of life.
One factor which offers potential in reducing parental stress is “mindful parenting”, a parenting style which involves paying close, non-judgemental attention to the child and reacting sensitively and compassionately to the child’s needs and emotions (Duncan et al., 2009). However, mindful parenting has not been investigated in the context of childhood psoriasis.
The main aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between mindful parenting, and parental and child quality of life. There are two parts to the study. Part one will employ a longitudinal design. Parents and children will be asked to complete self-report questionnaires assessing: mindful parenting, parental stress, quality of life, mental health, and psoriasis and itch severity. Questionnaires will be completed at two time-points, six months apart. Participants will be recruited via dermatology clinics, community health teams, and social media.
Part two of the study adopts a qualitative research design and involves face-to-face interviews with 12 children and their parents about their experiences of living with psoriasis. Participants will be recruited via part one of the study and/or via social media. These interviews will be conducted in between the two questionnaire time points. Findings from this study will be used to inform future interventions designed to improve child and parent quality of life.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/YH/0134
Date of REC Opinion
29 May 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion