REACH-ASD Trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
REACH-ASD Trial: A Randomised Controlled Trial of Psycho-Education and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy for Parents of Children recently diagnosed with ASD
IRAS ID
268914
Contact name
Jonathan Green
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
There are high levels of mental health difficulties in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly in the immediate post-diagnostic period. The incidence of clinically significant parental mental health need around this time is 20-50%. Feelings of grief, disorientation and disempowerment are common. Best practice guidelines recommend provision of timely post-diagnostic family support. However, current provision is patchy across the UK, a source of increasing dissatisfaction for both parents and professionals, and crucially it lacks any evidence-base for effectiveness.
The REACH-ASD trial will assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of the EMPOWER-ASD programme. EMPOWER-ASD is a parental, group-based, manualised post-diagnostic programme that combines information about ASD with psychological strategies focused on parental adjustment and wellbeing to boost parental mental health, adaptation, and understanding of ASD.
The study will be carried out with 330 participants in the Greater Manchester area over a period of three years starting in 2020. Participants will be a nominated parent/primary caregiver of a child aged between 2-15 years who has recently received a diagnosis of ASD. Two-thirds of parents, chosen at random, will receive this intervention in addition to their usual post-diagnostic services; a third will continue to receive their usual post-diagnostic services. Before, during and after the intervention, parents will meet with an independent researcher who will collect measures on parental mental health, wellbeing and other measures relating to parent, family and child outcomes.
If shown to be effective, this theoretically based targeted approach to parental education, empowerment and stress reduction will fill a key evidential gap in the provision of efficient and effective developmentally appropriate ASD interventions from diagnosis onwards.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0596
Date of REC Opinion
22 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion