Online ACT Matrix Parent Training for Japanese-Speaking Mothers with Distress in the United States

Abstract

Cultural stigma, shame, self-concealment, and language and socio-economic barriers often keep Asian immigrant parents and children away from mental and behavioral services in the United States. Research shows that increased levels of parent distress suggest a negative impact on parenting practices and correlate child-maltreatment. Therefore, this study aimed to test one functionally contextual strategy to address such issues. The current study evaluated the effects of an online Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) Matrix for Japanese-speaking mothers living the United States. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline single-subject design across four mothers was used to assess the effect of ACT Matrix on value-driven behaviors, parental engagement (session attendance and daily assignment completion), parental distress, and psychological flexibility. The study consisted of a baseline, treatment (three ACT Matrix treatment sessions adapted from the six-step protocol), maintenance, and follow-up phases. A visual analysis reporting level, trend, variability, immediacy of change and overlap was used to identify a functional relation between the treatment and observable overt behaviors of value-driven behaviors and daily assignment completion. In addition, a non-overlap of all pairs was used to measure effect sizes for these behaviors. For psychological flexibility and parental distress, we used the reliable change index to assess whether clinically significant improvement occurred or not. The results revealed that the online ACT Matrix parent training program was effective in improving all four dependent variables. Mothers reported that the training was culturally sensitive, effective, and acceptable. The details of findings and the implications for future research as preventive science are discussed.