Piloting attachment psychoeducation provided to parents of children with severe disabilities: Testing the feasibility of a digital micro-intervention

Abstract

Background A digital micro-intervention offering attachment psychoeducational videos was explored regarding its feasibility in parents of children with severe disabilities. Method: A mixed-methods study (including daily diaries and one-time questionnaires) with 16 parents (75.0% female) of children with severe disabilities (up to 10 years of age) was done during a three-week intervention. Results: Parents were positive about the video series and almost no drop-out occurred. The videos stimulated their learning and thinking and offered parents some personal meaning. Preliminary efficacy tests showed no major changes in parents’ parenting self-efficacy (PSE) or perceptions of statements on parent–child attachment. Conclusions: The study showed promising results regarding the micro-interventions’ acceptability and implementation. The limited efficacy testing did not show major changes in parents’ PSE. Further research is needed to investigate the differential relevance of the micro-intervention, based on parents’ needs, as well as its optimal embeddedness in a broader intervention trajectory.