The Effectiveness of Parent-Child Relationship Training based on ACT on the Parent-Adolescent Conflict of Mothers with Epileptic Child

Abstract

Suffering from chronic diseases including epilepsy during adolescence is a crisis for the whole family. Among the affected areas in these families is mother-child relationship quality which necessitates special attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of child relationship training based on ACT on the parent-adolescent conflict of mothers with epileptic child. This study was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The population included mothers with epileptic teenagers of Isfahan city. Participants recruited through convenient sampling from Esfahan Epilepsy Center. 24 mothers were selected and randomly assigned to two groups of training and control with the equal sample sizes. They completed the Conflict Tactics Scales as the pretest and posttests. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed a significant decrease in parent-adolescent conflict in the mean posttest in the training group as compared to the control group (p<.05). In addition, the findings showed a significant increase in reasoning scores (p<.05) and a significant decrease in the scores of verbal and physical aggression (p<.05). According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that parent-child relationship training based on ACT, decreases parent-adolescent conflicts.

Keywords

• parent-child relationship
• acceptance and commitment therapy [act]
• conflict
• epilepsy