Nicula Maria, Grennan Laura, Loewen Techiya, Crews Erica, Giuliani Kelly, Webb Cheryl, Gouveia Maria-Rosa, Couturier Jennifer
McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Phoenix Wings Eating Disorder Recovery Initiative, Woodstock, Ontario, Canada.
Int J Eat Disord. 2023 Nov;56(11):2107-2119. doi: 10.1002/eat.24042. Epub 2023 Aug 14.
To examine the feasibility of a virtual parent-led peer support group (vPLPSG) intervention for parents of children with eating disorders (EDs).
Forty-four parents were invited to attend 2-h-long vPLPSG sessions every other week for 6 months. A convergent mixed methods design was used to integrate quantitative survey data (collected at three timepoints and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA) and qualitative interview data (collected at 6 months and analyzed using content analysis) to assess intervention feasibility. Feasibility was comprised of acceptability (e.g., recruitment and retention rates, desire to continue attending the groups) and preliminary effectiveness (e.g., change in parents' self-reported burden).
The recruitment rate (67%), retention rate (77%), and attendance rate (60%) demonstrated adequate acceptability. All parents expressed their recommendation of this group to other parents, and most wanted to continue attending vPLPSG sessions. Participants qualitatively reported less isolation and burden as well as improvements in skills and confidence to manage their child's symptoms. These preliminary effectiveness findings were corroborated by quantitative data, with participants reporting a significant decrease in burden [mean difference (MD) = 6.61; p < .004], increase in confidence (MD = 11.17; p < .001), and decrease in unmet needs (MD = 5.03; p < .001) from baseline to 6-months.
The vPLPSG intervention demonstrated feasibility with respect to acceptability and improvements in preliminary parental outcomes. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention using a larger, more diverse sample.
Dedicated efforts to support caregivers, such as through virtual parent-led peer support groups, have the potential to increase confidence and decrease burden for parents managing their child's eating disorder.
探讨虚拟家长主导的同伴支持小组（vPLPSG）干预对饮食失调（ED）儿童家长的可行性。
邀请44名家长每隔一周参加为期2小时的vPLPSG会议，共持续6个月。采用收敛性混合方法设计，整合定量调查数据（在三个时间点收集并使用重复测量方差分析进行分析）和定性访谈数据（在6个月时收集并使用内容分析进行分析），以评估干预的可行性。可行性包括可接受性（如招募和留存率、继续参加小组的意愿）和初步效果（如家长自我报告的负担变化）。
招募率（67%）、留存率（77%）和出席率（60%）显示出足够的可接受性。所有家长都表示会向其他家长推荐这个小组，并且大多数人希望继续参加vPLPSG会议。参与者定性报告称，他们感到更少的孤立和负担，以及在管理孩子症状的技能和信心方面有所提高。这些初步效果的发现得到了定量数据的证实，参与者报告从基线到6个月时，负担显著减轻[平均差异（MD）=6.61；p<0.004]，信心增加（MD=11.17；p<0.001），未满足需求减少（MD=5.03；p<0.001）。
vPLPSG干预在可接受性和家长初步结果改善方面显示出可行性。未来的研究应该使用更大、更多样化的样本评估这种干预的效果。
通过虚拟家长主导的同伴支持小组等专门努力来支持照顾者，有可能增强管理孩子饮食失调问题的家长的信心并减轻其负担。
