The efficacy of emotional regulation training in comparison with mindfulness training on cognitive flexibility and parent-child interaction in mothers of children with mild mental retardation

Background studies show that emotional regulation and mindfulness training have each led to improved cognitive flexibility and parent-child interaction; But it is not yet clear which of these interventions can be most effective over time.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of emotional regulation and mindfulness training on cognitive flexibility and parent-child interaction of mothers with children with mild mental retardation.

The research was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test design and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population of the study included all mothers with children with mild mental disabilities who referred to exceptional schools in Rasht in the academic year of 2019-2020. 36 people were selected by convenience sampling method and randomly divided into three groups of 12 people. The experimental groups were trained in emotional regulation (8 sessions of 90 minutes) and mindfulness (8 sessions of 90 minutes). Research instruments included the Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire (Dennis and Vanderwall, 2010) and the Parent-Child Relationship Scale (Pianta, 1994). Data analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA.

Emotional regulation and mindfulness training were effective in improving cognitive flexibility and parent-child interaction and their components in the post-test and follow-up stages; Also, in the follow-up stage, no significant difference was observed between the two interventions in these variables (P< 0.01).

According to the results, it can be said that training in emotional regulation and mindfulness by promoting emotional reconstruction, reducing negative self-referential processing and increasing the ability to perform purposeful behaviors, awareness of current experiences and returning attention to cognitive system and more efficient information processing, finally, improved cognitive flexibility and parent-child interaction of mothers with children with mild mental retardation.