Increasing the tolerance of mothers with children with autism: the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness – experimental research

Abstract

Introduction and importance: Autism spectrum disorder significantly impacts the life and psychosocial health of the family, resulting in high levels of anxiety, stress, isolation, and indecisiveness among parents. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness in increasing the tolerance of mothers of children with autism. Case presentation: The study used a semi-experimental pre-test–post-test design with a control group. The study population comprised mothers referred to autism centers in Tehran. Eighty mothers were randomly divided into two groups, with 40 in each group. The Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale was used to measure the level of tolerance in both groups in the pre-test and post-test stages. The experimental group underwent cognitive therapy group therapy based on mindfulness, comprising eight sessions of 120 min. On the other hand, the control group did not receive any intervention. Clinical discussion: The results of the study showed that the tolerance scores of the experimental group significantly increased after the intervention, in both the post-test and follow-up stages. Conclusion: Therefore, the results of this research emphasize the importance of using this intervention in increasing the tolerance of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and creating new horizons in the clinical interventions of these people.