Self-Compassion-Based Resilience Habits Course for Caregivers of Children with Physical Disabilities

Caregivers of children with moderate to severe physical disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, spina bifida, traumatic brain injuries, genetic conditions) report high levels of stress, burnout, isolation, and self-blame (Dlamini et al., 2023; Masefield et al., 2020). Self-compassion-based interventions are linked to improved mental health and are suited to address isolation, de-prioritization of self, and self-critical tendencies common to long-term caregivers (Neff, 2023). However, these interventions have not been tested in caregivers of children with physical disabilities. Informed by feedback from service providers, advocates, and a caregiver advisory group, we developed a 6-session (1.5 hour/session) live-online group Resilience Habits for Caregivers course. Eight caregivers (100% female, Mage= 44, 38% Black, 62% White) were recruited via flyers in specialty clinics or community organizations. Caregivers participated in exercises, discussions and practices around 5 key self-compassion-based resilience habits: (1) Mindfulness (noticing thoughts, feelings and sensations); (2) Common Humanity (acknowledging that difficult emotions make sense and connect us); (3) Self-Kindness (providing gentle and strong internal support); (4) Helpful Actions (taking steps to meet needs); and (5) Soaking in the Good (appreciating/noticing good). Online questionnaires were administered pre and post intervention and a group feedback session was audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Attendance and acceptability were high, with 6/8 attending every session and 7/8 strongly agreeing or agreeing that they would recommend the course to other caregivers. Mean resilience and self-compassion increased, while mean anxiety, depression, perceived stress, difficulties with emotion regulation decreased pre versus post intervention. Qualitative themes showed shifts in caregivers’ emotional awareness, sense of isolation, and capacity for grace and self-advocacy. Caregivers expressed interest in future co-facilitation by caregiving peers and continued opportunities for involvement. The resilience habits course shows promise as an accessible, acceptable resource for caregivers to gain skills to cultivate greater well-being. Future work should examine efficacy, effectiveness, and implementation.