Compilation and Validation of a Therapeutic Intervention Package based on the Healthy Human Theory for Mothers having Children with Autism Spectrum

Background and Objectives: This research was conducted with the aim of developing and validating a therapeutic intervention package based on the healthy human theory on social stigma, alexithymia, self-compassion, and cognitive fusion of mothers having children with autism spectrum. Materials and Methods: In this research, a mixed research method was used: in the qualitative part, the comparative theme analysis method, and in the quantitative part, the semi-experimental method. The research environment included 52 reliable sources that were selected by purposive sampling based on the healthy human theory and parents of autistic children. The target population in the quantitative section was mothers with autistic children in Isfahan city, 6 of whom were selected by purposive sampling method and participated in the intervention. The tools for collecting data in the quantitative part were the Mak and Kwok Stigma Questionnaire (2010), Toronto Ataxia Scale (TAS-20), Neff's Self-Compassion Questionnaire (2003), and Gillanders et al.'s Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (2014). Results: The results of Atride Sterling's theme analysis indicated that 8 organizing themes (satisfaction and enjoyment of life, loving creation and self, metacognition, peace, happiness, hope, currentness, and meaning) were obtained out of 18 basic themes around the overarching theme, a therapeutic intervention based on the healthy human theory. The results of the dependent t-test showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the pre-test and the post-test in all four social stigma, emotional malaise, self-compassion, and cognitive fusion (P<0.05), which shows the effectiveness and validity of the therapeutic intervention package based on the healthy human theory on mothers with children having the autism spectrum in the preliminary implementation (pilot stage). Conclusion: The therapeutic intervention model based on the healthy human theory is effective on four variables: social stigma, alexithymia, self-compassion, and cognitive fusion. This method can be adopted to conduct counseling interventions for parents to facilitate adaptation to a similar situation.