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document
Effects on parental mental health of an education and skills training program for parents of young children with autism : a randomized controlled trial . OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of a parent education and behavior management intervention ( PEBM ) on the mental health and adjustment of parents with preschool children with autism . METHOD A randomized , group-comparison design involving a parent education and counseling intervention to control for nonspecific therapist effects and a control sample was used . Two metropolitan and two rural regions were randomly allocated to intervention groups ( n = 70 ) or control ( n = 35 ) . The parents of consecutive children with autism ( 2 ( 1/2 ) -5 years old ) from the autism assessment services for the intervention regions were then randomly allocated to either a 20-week manual-based parent education and behavior management intervention ( n = 35 ) or a manual-based parent education and counseling intervention ( n = 35 ) . The main outcome measure of parental mental health was the General Health Questionnaire used pre- and postintervention and at 6-month follow-up . RESULTS Both treatments resulted in significant and progressive improvement in overall mental health at follow-up ( F = 2 , 97 , p =.007 ) and mental health significantly improved over time in the 54 % of principal caregivers who had the highest levels of mental health problems . The parent education and behavior management intervention was effective in alleviating a greater percentage of anxiety , insomnia , and somatic symptoms and family dysfunction than parent education and counseling at 6-month follow-up . CONCLUSIONS A 20-week parent education and skills training program for parents of young children newly diagnosed with autism provides significant improvements in parental mental health and adjustment , justifying its addition to early intervention programs at least for parents with mental health problems .
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Intervention_Educational
education and skills training program
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Intervention_Educational
parent education and behavior management intervention ( PEBM )
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Intervention_Educational
parent education and counseling intervention
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Intervention_Educational
20-week manual-based parent education and behavior management intervention ( n = 35 ) or a manual-based parent education and counseling intervention
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Intervention_Educational
parent education and behavior management
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Intervention_Educational
parent education and skills training program
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Outcome_Mental
parental mental health
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Outcome_Mental
parental mental health
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Outcome_Mental
General Health Questionnaire
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Outcome_Mental
mental health
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Outcome_Mental
mental health
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Outcome_Mental
anxiety , insomnia , and somatic symptoms
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Outcome_Mental
family dysfunction
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Outcome_Mental
parental mental health
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Participant_Condition
parents of young children with autism :