Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention Delivered Via Instant Messaging on Parents' Wellbeing: A Randomized Controlled Trial and Investigation of Moderators

Experimental: Experimental Group

The experimental group will be invited to listen to a 15-minute mindfulness instructional recording delivered daily through an instant messaging application and to practice accordingly for 14 consecutive days at their own choice of time and place.

Verhalten: Mindfulness training

The intervention recordings will teach the basic concepts of mindfulness through simple guided meditations with content supported by science. Each recording has the same format that included (1) a daily theme, (2) a meditation exercise echoing the theme, (3) a suggested exercise for practice, and (4) an invitation for participants to give a short response to their meditation experience at the end of the recording.

Kein Eingriff: Waitlist control group

The waitlist control group will only be required to complete the demographic information, pre, post experiment and follow-up questionnaires before they receive the mindfulness training intervention.

Elterliche Stressskala

Die Parental Stress Scale wurde verwendet, um den selbst wahrgenommenen Stress zu messen, der für die Elternrolle spezifisch ist. Die Parental Stress Scale wurde ursprünglich von Berry und Jones (1995) entwickelt, um elterliche Gefühle und Erfahrungen in Bezug auf Belohnung, Zufriedenheit, Kontrollierbarkeit und Stress zu messen. Die Mindestpunktzahl war 0 und die Höchstpunktzahl 64. Eine Punktzahl von 0 steht für das niedrigstmögliche Maß an elterlichem Stress, während eine Punktzahl von 64 für das höchste Maß an elterlichem Stress steht. Höhere Werte weisen auf ein schlechteres Ergebnis hin.

Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale

The 31-item Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting scale was adopted to measure parents' self-reported engagement in mindful parenting (Duncan, 2007). The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score was 155. A score of 0 represents lowest level of parental mindfulness, whereas a score of 155 represents highest level of parental mindfulness possible. Higher scores indicate better outcome.

Non-attachment to Self Scale

Non-attachment to Self Scale measures the absence of fixation on self-related concepts, thoughts and feelings, and a capacity to flexibly interact with these concepts, thoughts and feelings without trying to control them (Whitehead et al., 2018). The minimum score was 0 and the maximum was 49. The higher the score the more nonattached the participant. Higher scores indicate better outcome.

Nonattachment Scale - Short Form

Nonattachment Scale measures an individual's release from mental fixations in a flexible, balanced way of relating to one's experiences without clinging to or suppressing them (Chio, Lai, & Mak, 2018). The minimum score was 0 and the maximum was 48. The higher the score the more nonattached the participant. Higher scores indicate better outcome.

Peace of mind

Peace of mind scale measures an individual's internal state of peacefulness and harmony (Lee et al., 2013).The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score was 35. Higher scores reflect higher levels of peace of mind. Higher scores indicate better outcome.

The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form

The Experience in Close Relationship Scale is a 12 item self-report adult attachment style questionnaire focused on close relationships (Brennan, Clark & Shaver, 1998). It provides data on two continuous scales concerning the extent to which participants show attachment dimensions: anxiety and avoidance. The scale consists of 12 items which participants respond to on a seven-point scale. The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score for each scale was 72. The lower the score the more securely attached the participant. Higher scores indicate worse outcome.

Training Scale

The Training Scale measures child-rearing items specific to the Chinese culture (Chao, 1994). The training scale covered two areas, "ideologies on child development and learning" (involving seven items) and "ideologies on the mother-child relationship" (involving six items). The minimum score was 0 and the maximum score was 65. The higher the score the more the participant pertains to chiao shun, or training.