Oshima, Fumiyo; Mandy, William; Seto, Mikuko; Hongo, Minako; Tsuchiyagaito, Aki; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Sutoh, Chihiro; ... Shimizu, Eiji; + view all Oshima, Fumiyo; Mandy, William; Seto, Mikuko; Hongo, Minako; Tsuchiyagaito, Aki; Hirano, Yoshiyuki; Sutoh, Chihiro; Guan, Siqing; Nitta, Yusuke; Ozawa, Yoshihito; Kawasaki, Yohei; Ohtani, Toshiyuki; Masuya, Jiro; Takahashi, Noriko; Sato, Noriyuki; Nakamura, Shizuka; Nakagawa, Akiko; Shimizu, Eiji; - view fewer (2023) Cognitive behavior therapy for autistic adolescents, awareness and care for my autistic traits program: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry , 23 (1) , Article 661. 10.1186/s12888-023-05075-2.

Preview

PDF s12888-023-05075-2.pdf - Published Version Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Autistic people demonstrate focused interests, sensitivity to sensory stimulation, and, compared with the general population, differences in social communication and interaction. We examined whether a combination of the Awareness and Care for My Autistic Traits (ACAT) program and treatment-as-usual is more effective than only treatment-as-usual in increasing the understanding of autistic attributes, reducing treatment stigma, and improving mental health and social adaptation among autistic adolescents and their parents/guardians. METHODS: Forty-nine adolescents and their parents/guardians were randomly assigned to either a combination of ACAT and treatment-as-usual or only treatment-as-usual. The combined group received six weekly 100-minute ACAT sessions, while the treatment-as-usual group received no additional intervention. The primary outcome was the change in understanding of autistic attributes (Autism Knowledge Quiz-Child), administered from pre- to post-intervention. The secondary outcomes included the change in Autism Knowledge Quiz-Parent, reduced treatment stigma, and improved mental health and social adaptation among autistic adolescents and their parents/guardians. A primary outcome measure scale was scored by assessors who were blind to the group assignment. RESULTS: The combined group (both autistic adolescents and their parents/guardians) showed an increase in Autism Knowledge Quiz scores compared to those in the treatment-as-usual group. Autistic adolescents in the combined group also demonstrated a decrease in treatment-related stigma and an improvement in general mental health compared to those in the treatment-as-usual group, while there were no group differences in the change in social adaptation. For parents/guardians, there were no group differences in the change in treatment-related stigma, general mental health, adaptive skills, or attitudes toward their children. CONCLUSIONS: The ACAT program could be an effective treatment modality to increase the understanding of autistic attributes among both autistic adolescents and their parents/guardians. The ACAT program positively affects self-understanding, reduces treatment stigma, and stabilizes behavioral issues for autistic adolescents as a part of mental health measures, but it does not effectively reduce treatment barriers or improve mental health for parents/guardians. Further research should consider whether additional support for parents/guardians could be beneficial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in UMIN (UMIN000029851, 06/01/2018).

Download activity - last month

Export as CSVJSONXML

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as CSVXMLJSON

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as CSVXMLJSON

Archive Staff Only

View Item