Transactions on Data Analysis in Social Science

Transactions on Data Analysis in Social Science

Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Parenting Training on Mother–Child Interaction Quality and Behavior Problems in Boys with Mild Intellectual Disability: A Quasi-Experimental Study with Two-Month Follow-Up

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
S. Reddy
A. Verma
Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
10.22034/tdas.2025.255764
Abstract
Background and Aim: Mothers of children with intellectual disability experience high parenting stress, which can undermine mother–child interaction and is reciprocally linked with child behavior problems. This study examined the effectiveness of mindfulness-based parenting training on mother–child interaction quality and behavior problems in boys with mild intellectual disability. Method: In a quasi-experimental controlled design with a two-month follow-up, 30 mothers of boys attending special-education schools in Bengaluru were allocated by lottery to eight weekly 90-minute sessions of mindful parenting training (n = 15) or a no-intervention control group (n = 15). Interaction quality and child behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist) were assessed at pretest, posttest and follow-up and analyzed with Welch t tests on change scores and ANCOVA. Results: The groups were equivalent at baseline. In the experimental group, interaction quality increased from 54.40 to 63.80 (63.20 at follow-up) and behavior problems decreased from 73.53 to 58.53 (61.87 at follow-up), whereas the control group changed little. Changes were significantly larger in the experimental group for both outcomes at posttest (interaction quality: t(27.08) = 5.54, p < .001, g = 1.97; behavior problems: t(27.84) = −5.47, p < .001, g = −1.94) and at follow-up, and ANCOVA confirmed these results (partial η² = .50–.53). Conclusion: Mindful parenting training was associated with better mother–child interaction and fewer mother-reported behavior problems, largely maintained at two months. Given the small sample, reliance on maternal report and effect sizes larger than those usually reported, these findings are preliminary and require confirmation in adequately powered randomized trials.
Keywords
Mindfulness
Mindful parenting
Mother–child interaction
Behavior problems
Intellectual disability
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Transactions on Data Analysis in Social Science
Volume 7, Issue 4
Autumn 2025
Pages 295-308

  • Receive Date 02 August 2025
  • Revise Date 11 October 2025
  • Accept Date 23 November 2025