Asian Nurs Res.  2022 May;16(2):114-123. 10.1016/j.anr.2022.03.005.

Effects of a Sociodrama-based Communication Enhancement Program on Mothers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Pilot Study

• Jang SJ
• Han JS
• Bang MH
• Ahn JW

• KMID: 2536100
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2022.03.005

Abstract

Purpose
The incidence and prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders have rapidly increased, indicating an urgent need for assistance through parenting interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a sociodrama-based communication enhancement program on mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Method: A non-randomized controlled experimental study design was employed. The experimental and control groups had 16 and 18 participants, respectively. The once-a-week six-session intervention was conducted from September to November 2017, in South Korea. The effects of group, time, and group-by-time interactions among the groups were verified using generalized estimating equations with an autoregressive correlation structure.
Results
There was a significant decrease in the parenting burden, alongside a significant improvement in parent-child communication and parenting competence in the experimental group compared to the control group.
Conclusion
The sociodrama-based communication enhancement program was found to positively influence the parenting burden, communication, and parenting competence of mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. These findings suggest that sociodrama-based programs may be an effective intervention strategy for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The sociodrama-based communication enhancement program can be applied to decrease parenting burden and improve parent-child communication and parenting competence. Through continuous parenting interventions, an improvement in expressive language and an increase in the attachment behaviors of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities could be expected.

Keyword

burden; communication; drama therapy; neurodevelopmental disorders; parenting