The Effect of a Micro-Appreciation Intervention (Three-Things Journal Application) on Caregiver Burden, Family Functioning, and Happiness Levels for Mothers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

NCT ID: NCT07124091

Last Updated: 2025-08-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 126 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-05-30
• Study Completion Date: 2025-08-30

Brief Summary

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which individuals experience significant difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Families of children with ASD, especially mothers, face a high level of physical, emotional, and psychological caregiving burden while trying to adapt to their children's developmental needs. Constant caregiving responsibilities increase the risk of burnout, stress, and depression in mothers, while also negatively impacting family functioning and life satisfaction. Mothers of children with ASD require greater emotional resilience, self-regulation, and social support than those in traditional parenting roles.

In this context, interventions that support psychological well-being offer important strategies that can help mothers cope with the burden of care. In recent years, positive psychology-based interventions have been shown to positively contribute to individuals' mental health and are effective in increasing subjective well-being. Positive psychology approaches help individuals recognize and focus on the positive aspects of their lives, reducing stress levels and increasing psychological resilience. One such approach, micro-appreciation interventions, aims to increase individuals' positive emotional experiences by consciously focusing on small but significant positive events they encounter in their daily lives. Micro-appreciation interventions change individuals' perceptual frameworks, encouraging them to focus on positive moments instead of negative experiences. Such interventions stand out as an effective method for reducing the psychological and physiological effects of stress, increasing positive emotions, and improving overall life satisfaction.

One micro-appreciation intervention, the "Three Things Journal," is a simple yet effective strategy that involves individuals writing down three positive events they appreciate in their lives each day. Research has shown that this practice is effective in increasing individuals' awareness of positive experiences, reducing levels of depression and anxiety, and increasing subjective well-being. Regularly experiencing positive emotions strengthens individuals' ability to cope with challenges and increases their psychological resilience and optimism. Especially for individuals under intense stress, such small but regular practices can yield greater psychological benefits in the long term.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder; Parental Stress

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Positive Event Writing Intervention Group

Mothers in this group will be asked to write down three positive events each day for four weeks as part of a positive psychology journaling intervention.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Positive Event Writing Intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Mothers in the intervention group will be asked to write down three positive events each day for four weeks as part of a positive psychology journaling activity..

Control Group

Mothers in the control group will not receive any intervention.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Positive Event Writing Intervention

Mothers in the intervention group will be asked to write down three positive events each day for four weeks as part of a positive psychology journaling activity..

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 18 years or older
• Willing to participate in the study
• Able to read and understand Turkish
• Being a mother of a child with special needs

Exclusion Criteria

• Younger than 18 years
• Unwilling to participate in the study
• Unable to read or understand Turkish
• Not having a child with special needs

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 75 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Cukurova University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

MÜJDE KERKEZ

Assist. Prof. Dr

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Batman University

Batman, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Central Contacts

Mehmet Emin ŞANLI, Asist.Prof.

Role: CONTACT

m.emin--4747@hotmail.com

005071510747

Müjde KERKEZ, Asist. prof

Role: CONTACT

mujjde_@hotmail.com

05059718697

Facility Contacts

Mehmet Emin Şanlı, Asist. prof

Role: primary

Provided Documents

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

0000-0002-5515-2752

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id