Adolescents with emotional disorders (such as depression or anxiety) often experience distress that also affects their parents, creating a cycle of stress within the family. This study tests a new compassion-based family intervention designed to help both adolescents and their parents. The program includes six weekly sessions (120 minutes each). The study will recruit 60 parent-adolescent dyads. Half will receive the intervention immediately; the other half will wait 6 weeks before receiving it. We will measure changes in depression, anxiety, parenting stress, family relationships, and - using brain imaging (fNIRS) and heart rate monitors - how the intervention affects parent-child emotional and physiological synchrony. Assessments will take place before the intervention, right after, and at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups. The goal is to see whether this family-focused compassion program can improve mental health for both adolescents and their parents.
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Perceived emotional synchrony
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6 month follow-up
Self-Compassion
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6 month follow-up
Fears of Compassion
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6 month follow-up
Parenting Stress
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6 month follow-up
Children's depression levels
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6 month follow-up
Children's anxiety levels
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6 month follow-up
Parent-child neural synchrony (fNIRS hyperscanning)
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6 month follow-up
Heart rate variability (HRV)
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6 month follow-up