Efficacy of Mindfulness Therapy in Mitigating Psychological Distress among Informal Caregivers of Children with Autism: An Analysis of Predictive Factors

The mental health of informal caregivers, especially those caring for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a growing concern, particularly in resource-limited settings. This multi-phase study investigated the roles of health literacy and perceived stigmatisation on psychological distress among informal caregivers of children with ASD in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Phase One involved instrument adaptation and validation through a pilot study. Phase Two utilized a cross-sectional design to collect survey data from 195 caregivers, identifying those experiencing psychological distress. Phase Three employed a pre-test, post-test control group experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of Mindfulness Therapy in reducing psychological distress. Findings from Phase Two revealed that health literacy significantly and negatively predicted psychological distress (β = -0.04; p < 0.05), while perceived stigmatisation had a significant positive effect (β = 0.05; p < 0.05). The regression model explained 5% of the variance in psychological distress, with both variables collectively contributing to caregivers' distress levels (F (3, 191) = 4.53, p = 0.004). In Phase Three, results showed that Mindfulness Therapy significantly reduced psychological distress compared to the control group (t = 4.50, p < 0.05). Paired samples t-tests confirmed a significant reduction in distress levels among the Mindfulness Therapy group (t = 4.91, p < 0.05), with a mean difference of 13.50 between pre- and post-intervention scores. The study revealed the need for accessible mental health interventions for caregivers of children with ASD. It recommends training mental health professionals in evidence-based therapies like Mindfulness Therapy.