Brief Report: Mindfulness Training for Chinese Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents in Hong Kong

Ryan Yuk Fai Ho; Dexing Zhang; Stanley Kam Chung Chan; Tiffany Ting Gao; Eric Kam Pui Lee; Herman Hay Ming Lo; Peter Au Yeung; Kelly Yee Ching Lai; Susan M Bögels; Esther I de Bruin; Samuel Yeung Shan Wong

doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04729-4

Brief Report: Mindfulness Training for Chinese Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents in Hong Kong

J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 Nov;51(11):4147-4159. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04729-4.

Authors

Ryan Yuk Fai Ho^{1

2}, Dexing Zhang^{1

2}, Stanley Kam Chung Chan^{3

4}, Tiffany Ting Gao^{1

2}, Eric Kam Pui Lee^{1

2}, Herman Hay Ming Lo⁵, Peter Au Yeung⁴, Kelly Yee Ching Lai⁶, Susan M Bögels⁷, Esther I de Bruin⁷, Samuel Yeung Shan Wong^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
² Thomas Jing Centre for Mindfulness Research and Training, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
³ New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, Hong Kong, China.
⁴ Heep Hong Society, Hong Kong, China.
⁵ Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
⁷ Research Institute of Child Development and Education, The University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁸ JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. yeungshanwong@cuhk.edu.hk.
⁹ Thomas Jing Centre for Mindfulness Research and Training, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. yeungshanwong@cuhk.edu.hk.

Abstract

This study investigated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a concurrent mindfulness program (MYmind) on Chinese adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and their parents in Hong Kong, China using a randomized controlled trial with a waitlist control group. Results showed the study had 80% compliance rate, 0% dropout rate, and 89% response rate. Between-group comparisons showed mindfulness had trend effects on parent's rumination (g = 1.16), mindful parenting (d = 0.6), parenting style (d = 0.59), and parenting stress (d = 0.5). The study demonstrated the feasibility of the MYmind program in the Chinese context. A larger trial with longer follow-up period is suggested to better examine the effect of mindfulness on adolescents with ASD and their parents.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Effectiveness; Feasibility; MYmind.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / therapy
China
Hong Kong
Humans
Mindfulness*
Parenting
Parents

Grants and funding

29150654/Health Care and Promotion Fund