ACT Dad Interview: ACT for Fathers of Children With Special Needs

The goal of this qualitative study is to develop a therapy protocol for fathers of children with special needs in Hong Kong. The therapy is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps people cope with difficult emotions by building psychological flexibility - the ability to accept and adjust to hard situations. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. What are the experiences and needs of fathers raising children with special needs? 2. What content and format of an ACT programme would be most helpful for these fathers?

Researchers will conduct focus group interviews with two groups of participants: fathers raising children with special needs and social workers who work with these families. The interviews will take about 60 to 90 minutes each.

Participants will:

1. Take part in a recorded focus group interview 2. Share their experiences, challenges, and views on what an ACT program should include

The findings will be used to develop a protocol for an ACT programme to improve the mental health of fathers raising children with special needs.

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Key information

Conditions

Caregiver Mental Health Behavior Developmental Disabilities FATHER Mental Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders Parenting Stress Personal Satisfaction Psychological Well-Being Special Needs Children

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Informants will include 2 groups, 1) fathers rearing children with special needs and 2) social workers.

For fathers,

Inclusion criteria

are the biological fathers of children aged 2 to 12 years,
are with a child having a formal diagnosis of a developmental disability, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, or related neurodevelopmental conditions,
are able to speak Cantonese and read Chinese.

Exclusion criteria

Fathers with physical or cognitive impairment
Father with learning problems as identified from NGO or related medical records

For social workers,

Inclusion criteria

have experience in working with biological fathers of children aged 2 to 12 years who have a formal diagnosis of a developmental disability, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, or related neurodevelopmental conditions,
are able to speak Cantonese and read Chinese.

Treatment and study plan

Semi-structured Focus Group Interview

Other

Participants will take part in a 60 to 90-minute, video-recorded, semi-structured focus group interview conducted in Cantonese.

Primary outcomes

Psychological flexibility

Time frame: immediately after the interview

Qualitative method, conducted in the form of individual semi-structured interviews.
Mental Health

Time frame: immediately after the interview

Qualitative method, conducted in the form of individual semi-structured interviews.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Ka Wai Katherine LAM, Doctor of Philosophy

CONTACT

[email protected]

+852 27666420

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Qualitative Study to Develop a Protocol Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Fathers of Children With Special Needs in Improving Their Psychological Flexibility and Mental Health

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2027
Study completion: 2027
First posted: May 18, 2026
Registry last updated: May 18, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed