Parent caregivers of children who require lifesaving technology (e.g., mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes) must maintain a high level of vigilance 24/7. A two-arm randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of a resourcefulness intervention on parents' mental/physical health and family functioning at four time points over six months. Participants (n = 93) cared for their technology-dependent children <18 years at home. The intervention arm received teaching on social (help-seeking), personal (self-help) resourcefulness skills; access to the intervention video and skill application video-vignettes; four weeks of skills reinforcement using daily logs; four weekly phone contacts; and booster sessions at two- and four-month postenrollment. The attention control arm received phone contact at identical time points plus the current standard of care. Statistically significant improvement was noted; fewer depressive cognitions and improved physical health for the intervention participants than attention control participants over time after controlling for covariates. The findings support the resourcefulness intervention efficacy.
Keywords: family caregivers; family functioning; intervention; mental/physical health; parents; resourcefulness; technology-dependent children.