Lighthouse Parenting Nanai: a Mentalization-based Group Therapy for Caregivers with History of Trauma

NCT ID: NCT06889519

Last Updated: 2025-03-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-08-17
• Study Completion Date: 2025-10-31

Brief Summary

The goal of this feasibility randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of the Lighthouse Mentalization-Based Treatment Parenting Program (Lighthouse MBT-P) as an intervention for parents at risk of maltreating their children. The study focuses on parents with a history of childhood trauma, aiming to improve parent-child relationships, reduce parenting stress, and ultimately decrease the risk of child maltreatment.

The goal of this study is to test how well the Lighthouse Mentalization-Based Treatment Parenting Program (Lighthouse MBT-P) works for parents who may be at risk of harming their children. The program aims to help parents understand and manage their own and their children's emotions better. By improving these skills, the program hopes to reduce stress in parenting and lower the chances of child abuse or neglect.

The main questions this study will answer are:

• Can parents follow and complete the Lighthouse MBT-P program?
• Does the program help lower stress in parenting and improve relationships between parents and their children?

Participants in this study will:

• Attend weekly group sessions for 12 weeks. These sessions will teach them how to better understand and manage emotions.
• Take part in discussions led by trained psychologists.

Researchers will compare the results of parents who take part in the Lighthouse MBT-P program with those who receive standard parenting support to see which approach works better.

Detailed Description

This study is a feasibility randomized controlled trial designed to assess the Lighthouse Mentalization-Based Treatment Parenting Program (Lighthouse MBT-P) for parents who are at risk of maltreating their children. The Lighthouse MBT-P program is specifically tailored for parents with a history of trauma and aims to enhance their mentalizing abilities-helping them better understand and reflect on their own and their children's emotions and thoughts. By improving these skills, the program intends to strengthen parent-child relationships, reduce parenting stress, and ultimately decrease the risk of child maltreatment.

Study Design:

The study is being conducted at Diego Portales University in Santiago, Chile, with a total of 60 participants who will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: the intervention group receiving the Lighthouse MBT-P program and a control group receiving standard psychoeducational support. The intervention will consist of weekly 2-hour group sessions over 12 weeks, where participants will engage in psychoeducation and reflective discussions, facilitated by trained psychologists. These sessions aim to provide parents with the tools to improve their emotional regulation, understand their children's needs better, and develop healthier parenting practices.

Study Phases:

Cultural Adaptation: The Lighthouse MBT-P program has been culturally adapted to ensure its relevance and effectiveness within the Chilean context. This phase involved consultations with local experts, community stakeholders, and pilot testing with a small group of parents to refine the intervention content and delivery methods.

Clinician Training: Therapists who will deliver the Lighthouse MBT-P program have completed a comprehensive training program, including a three-day workshop and ongoing bi-weekly supervision by an MBT specialist. This training ensures that the intervention will be delivered consistently and effectively, adhering to the principles of mentalization-based treatment.

Intervention Delivery: The intervention group will participate in the Lighthouse MBT-P sessions, focusing on enhancing parental mentalizing abilities. The content will cover topics such as emotional regulation, understanding children's behaviors, and managing stress in parenting. Sessions will be conducted online, allowing for greater accessibility for participants.

Data Collection: Data will be collected at multiple time points, including baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up, to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the program, as well as preliminary indicators of its effectiveness in reducing parenting stress and improving parent-child relationships.

Analysis and Interpretation: The data collected will be analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods to determine the feasibility of the program and to identify any barriers or facilitators to its implementation. The results will inform decisions about whether to proceed with a full-scale randomized controlled trial and guide any necessary adjustments to the program.

Significance:

This study addresses a critical gap in the availability of trauma-informed, attachment-based interventions for parents at risk of child maltreatment in Chile. By evaluating the feasibility of the Lighthouse MBT-P program, this research aims to provide a foundation for larger-scale interventions that could significantly impact the prevention of child maltreatment and improve the well-being of vulnerable families.

Conditions

Child Maltreatment; Trauma, Psychological

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Psychoeducation Group

This group receives weekly psychoeducational information

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Psychoeducational cards

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

They will receive weekly information on parenting in the first 3 years of life. They will have direct contact (via WhatsApp) with a child psychologist to ask questions about the material and to refer to specialized support if needed.

MBT Lighthouse NANAI

This group receives the psychosocial intervention MBT Lighthouse NANAI

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

MBT Lighthouse Parenting Program

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Lighthouse Parenting Programme, a 12-week intervention for parents, focusing on enhancing mentalizing abilities. It includes weekly group sessions (2hrs) led by 3 trained MBT psychotherapists for 8-12 parents, and fortnightly individual parenting sessions (1hr) with a practitioner. The programme, rooted in Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) skills, explores parents mentalizing and their childrens mentalizing and attachment styles through a variety of interactive methods, including multimedia resources and creative activities to stimulate mentalizing. Central to the programme is the metaphor of the parent as a lighthouse, guiding their child. Training for practitioners spanned 4 days, covering MBT and Lighthouse Parenting skills, with an emphasis on experiential learning and self-reflection. Ongoing weekly group supervision will ensure the quality and fidelity of the intervention. Delivered in person at University Diego Portales.

Interventions

MBT Lighthouse Parenting Program

Lighthouse Parenting Programme, a 12-week intervention for parents, focusing on enhancing mentalizing abilities. It includes weekly group sessions (2hrs) led by 3 trained MBT psychotherapists for 8-12 parents, and fortnightly individual parenting sessions (1hr) with a practitioner. The programme, rooted in Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) skills, explores parents mentalizing and their childrens mentalizing and attachment styles through a variety of interactive methods, including multimedia resources and creative activities to stimulate mentalizing. Central to the programme is the metaphor of the parent as a lighthouse, guiding their child. Training for practitioners spanned 4 days, covering MBT and Lighthouse Parenting skills, with an emphasis on experiential learning and self-reflection. Ongoing weekly group supervision will ensure the quality and fidelity of the intervention. Delivered in person at University Diego Portales.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Psychoeducational cards

They will receive weekly information on parenting in the first 3 years of life. They will have direct contact (via WhatsApp) with a child psychologist to ask questions about the material and to refer to specialized support if needed.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Biological parents of children (0-36 months old) with custody of their child.

2. Parents who have gone through adverse childhood experiences, have a history of parental substance abuse or incarceration, have current exposure to relationship violence, or social isolation, or have lost custody of a child in the past.

3. Parents must be over the age of 18.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Parents who are unable to provide informed consent due to mental or cognitive impairment,

2. Parents not fluent in Spanish.

3. Child's diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder or severe cognitive delay.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University Diego Portales

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Stefanella Costa Cordella

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University Diego Portales

Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan, Chile

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Chile

Central Contacts

Stefanella Costa Cordella, PhD

Role: CONTACT

costacordella@gmail.com

800-555-5555

Stefanella Costa

Role: CONTACT

costacordella@gmail.com

998889682

Facility Contacts

Stefanella Costa Stefanella Costa, PhD

Role: primary

costacordella@gmail.com

+56998889682

Other Identifiers

3220844

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

Fondecyt3220844

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id