An interventional study of mind-mindedness in Social Anxiety Disorder of Childhood, sponsored by Heriot-Watt University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-10-24.
Sponsored by Heriot-Watt University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to investigate the efficacy of Mind-Mindedness (MM) training for caregivers as an early intervention for preschool-aged children (4 to 7 years) exhibiting signs of social anxiety. The study posits that enhancing caregivers' ability to recognize and respond to their children's thoughts, feelings, and intentions-termed Mind-Mindedness-can foster secure attachments and improve socioemotional outcomes for children.
A total of 100 primary caregivers will be recruited from the United Kingdom and Iran, with participants randomly assigned to either an MM training intervention group or a peer support control group. The MM training will consist of three online sessions, each lasting one hour, focusing on strategies for implementing mind-minded comments and enhancing emotional understanding. The peer support group will provide caregivers with an online platform for sharing experiences related to their child's anxiety without receiving structured training.
Assessments of Mind-Mindedness, child social anxiety, attachment, and theory of mind will be conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and three months after the intervention using validated measures. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of MM training in reducing social anxiety symptoms in children while examining the potential mediating roles of attachment and theory of mind in this relationship.
By incorporating a cross-cultural approach, this research will contribute to understanding the influence of cultural contexts on the effectiveness of caregiver interventions. The anticipated findings could establish MM training as a valuable strategy for mitigating social anxiety in preschoolers and inform future clinical practices aimed at enhancing caregiver-child interactions.
This study aims to explore a new approach to support preschool children (ages 4 to 7) who struggle with social anxiety. The investigators believe that when caregivers, such as parents, understand and respond more effectively to their child's feelings and thoughts, it can help the child feel more secure and less anxious in social situations.
To test this idea, the investigators are inviting 100 caregivers from the UK and Iran to participate in our research. Participants will be randomly divided into two groups: one group will receive special training called Mind-Mindedness training, which consists of three online sessions designed to teach caregivers techniques for better understanding their child's emotions. The other group will participate in a peer support group where participants can share experiences with other caregivers, this group will not receive the training.
The investigators will assess the children's social anxiety before the training, immediately after it, and three months later to determine if the training has a positive impact. This study aims to demonstrate how enhancing caregiver awareness of their child's feelings can reduce anxiety and help children interact more confidently with others.
367 studies on the registry are indexed under Phobia, Social; 58 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 100 is above the median of 76 across 338 interventional studies indexed under Phobia, Social.
Browse Phobia, Social studies →Heriot-Watt University is the lead sponsor of 5 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Age of Caregiver: Caregivers must be between 18 and 60 years old. Geographical Location: Caregivers must reside in either the United Kingdom or Iran.
Social Anxiety Symptoms: Children must exhibit observable signs of social anxiety, which will be confirmed through a standardized screening tool.
Exclusion Criteria:
Concurrent Support: Caregivers of children who are currently receiving any other form of psychological support or treatment for social anxiety will be excluded.
The Mind-Mindedness Training Group will involve 50 caregivers of preschool-aged children (ages 4 to 7) with social anxiety. Participants will attend three one-hour online sessions over three consecutive weeks. The training focuses on enhancing caregivers' ability to recognize and respond to their children's thoughts and emotions. Each session includes: * Session 1:\*\* Introduction to mind-mindedness, its importance, and caregiver roles in managing social anxiety. * Session 2:\*\* Practical strategies for emotion coaching, including role-play exercises. * Session 3:\*\* Advanced strategies addressing common challenges, with discussions and video examples. Participants will receive materials to support their learning. Effectiveness will be assessed through evaluations of mind-mindedness, child social anxiety, and related areas at baseline, post-intervention, and three months later.
Other: mind-mindedness
The Peer Support Control Group will consist of 50 primary caregivers of preschool-aged children (ages 4 to 7) exhibiting signs of social anxiety. Participants will not receive Mind-Mindedness training but will have access to a private online peer support platform. This group aims to provide a supportive environment for caregivers to share experiences, concerns, and coping strategies. Key features include: Peer Support Platform:A moderated online group for discussions and emotional support among caregivers. Resource Sharing: Opportunities for caregivers to share helpful articles, tips, and resources. Facilitated Discussions: Occasional prompts to encourage conversations about common challenges. Participants will complete assessments of mind-mindedness, social anxiety, attachment, and theory of mind at baseline, post-intervention, and three months later, similar to the Mind-Mindedness Training Group. This control group allows for comparisons of the effectiveness
Other: mind-mindedness
The Mind-Mindedness Training Intervention is a structured program designed specifically for primary caregivers of preschool-aged children (ages 4 to 7) who exhibit signs of social anxiety. This intervention is unique because it focuses on enhancing caregivers' understanding and responsiveness to their children's emotional and mental states through the concept of mind-mindedness.
Child Social Anxiety Levels
Primary Outcome Measure Description: This measure will assess changes in social anxiety symptoms in preschool-aged children (4 to 7 years) as reported by caregivers, using the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS), the parent versions. The SCAS scores range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 114. Higher scores on the SCAS indicate worse outcomes, reflecting higher levels of anxiety.
Time frame: Data will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up
Mind-Mindedness of Caregivers
The assessment of mind-mindedness in caregivers will be conducted using the Mind-Mindedness Coding Manual(Meins, 2015). It evaluates caregivers' ability to understand and respond to their child's mental and emotional states. Scores on this scale typically range from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating better outcomes, reflecting a greater level of mind-mindedness. A higher score signifies that the caregiver is more attuned to their child's emotional needs, which is associated with positive developmental outcomes for the child.
Time frame: Data will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.
Attachment Security of Children
The assessment of attachment in caregivers will be conducted using the Attachment Insecurity Screening Inventory (AISI), developed by Spruit et al. (2018), allowing the evaluation of any changes in attachment security resulting from the intervention. This scale has a scoring range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes and greater attachment insecurity. Therefore, a higher score suggests that the caregiver exhibits more insecure attachment behaviours.
Time frame: Data will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.
Theory of Mind Development in Children
The Theory of Mind Task Battery (Hutchins et al., 2012) will be utilized to assess children's understanding of others' mental states, an important factor in social interactions and emotional regulation. Scores on this battery typically range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better outcomes. A higher score reflects a greater ability for the child to understand and interpret the mental states of others, which is crucial for social interactions and emotional development.
Time frame: Data will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.
Plan to share: No — Individual Participant Data will not be shared with other researchers for several reasons: Participant Privacy: Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of participants is our highest priority. Sharing IPD could compromise their anonymity. Data Sensitivity: The data collected during the trial may contain sensitive information that requires strict confidentiality measures. Ethical Considerations: Ethical guidelines related to participant consent prohibit sharing identifiable data without explicit permission.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Heriot-Watt University