SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Pediatric Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1590489
The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Depression in Parents of Children with Special Needs: A Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted
Wei Wang1*
Haoran He2- 1Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Beijing, China
- 2Capital Institute of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing, Beijing, China
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Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in alleviating depressive symptoms among parents of children with special needs. Additionally, it examined the moderating effects of geographic and cultural contexts, intervention parameters, and types of children's diseases.Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were: (1) peer-reviewed studies published in English, (2) randomized controlled trials (RCTs), (3) ACT as the core intervention, (4) participation by parents of children with special needs, and (5) reporting of standardized effect sizes for depressive symptoms. A total of 12 studies (n = 746) met the eligibility criteria. A fixed-effects model was employed for the meta-analysis, and subgroup analyses were conducted based on geographic distribution, intervention duration, intervention parameters, and types of children's diseases (neurodevelopmental disorders, chronic illnesses, or severe conditions).Results: ACT significantly reduced depressive symptoms (SMD = -0.36, 95% CI [-0.51, -0.22], P < 0.0001). Subgroup analyses indicated that the parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders or chronic illnesses, the national context, and the frequency of intervention were key sources of heterogeneity in treatment outcomes.The synthesized evidence suggests that ACT is particularly beneficial for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and chronic illnesses. A recommended intervention duration of 4 to 8 weeks (≥35 minutes per session, 1-2 sessions per week) is optimal, and the effect may be the most significant in areas with a well-developed welfare system. Future studies should prioritize the development of culturally adapted intervention modules and explore digital health platforms to enhance accessibility.
Keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Parents of children with special needs, Depression, Meta-analysis, Meta-regression
Received: 11 Mar 2025; Accepted: 19 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang and He. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wei Wang, Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Beijing, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.