Wellbeing for CARERS: the effectiveness of SMS messages on parental wellbeing, a pilot study

When a child is diagnosed with a special healthcare condition parents often experience profound challenges with their own health and wellbeing. Current literature suggests interventions addressing parental wellbeing are effective in reducing parental distress, improving wellbeing and overall family functioning. While most interventions are delivered face-to-face, online programs provide access to evidence-based material and instant psychological support to a population who experience many barriers with accessing face-to-face programs. A pre-post-test study design was implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of the Wellbeing for CARERS program, targeting a wide range of experiences and wellbeing components for carers using SMS messages with links to relevant resources to improve parental wellbeing. Twenty-six parents received five weekly SMS messages for eight weeks with links to psychoeducation resources, tips for managing wellbeing, and weekly mood monitoring. Post-program outcomes indicate a decrease in personal distress, improvements in social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. However, no improvements in parental-related stress were indicated. This indicates that, the Wellbeing for CARERS program is effective in improving parental wellbeing. The results provide support for the use of SMS messages to deliver psychoeducation, tips, and strategies, to parents of children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN).