Mindfulness and Psychoeducation Are Associated With Improved Perceived and Physiological Health Outcomes in Caregivers of Children With Autism

Abstract Parents of autistic children can experience less favorable outcomes than the general population on objective health measures. Accordingly, interventions including behaviorally-oriented and mind-body programs are associated with decreased stress and increased mental health. Caregivers (n = 22) of autistic children (aged 5-12) were randomized to group psychoeducation or mindfulness program for 8 weeks. Psychological and physiological measures included heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, parental stress, and perceived health. Both groups demonstrated improvement HRV, perceived parental stress, and perceived global health. The mindfulness group showed some advantage, including on root mean squared successive difference, somatization, and perceptions of their child’s behavior. Although preliminary, results highlight the promise of short-term interventions for improving health for caregivers of autistic children.