EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF AN ONLINE TELEPHONE, GROUP-BASED COACHING INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH THE 22Q11.2 DELETION SYNDROME

Abstract

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a genetic disorder associated with psychiatric and behavioural challenges in affected children and elevated psychological distress in their caregivers. This thesis comprised two studies. Study 1 examined whether caregiver depressive symptoms were associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children with 22q11DS, and whether this relationship was mediated by perceived social support. Results from 90 caregivers across North America and Europe indicated that caregiver depression was significantly associated with child externalizing symptoms, while the association with internalizing symptoms was fully mediated by perceived social support. Study 2 evaluated the implementation of a telephone, group-based online coaching intervention for caregivers. Preliminary findings suggest the intervention improved caregiver stress and anxiety, as well as child externalizing symptoms. These results underscore the importance of caregiver-focused supports in mitigating child psychiatric outcomes and highlight the potential of scalable, online interventions to address the needs of families affected by 22q11DS.