Left In The Waiting Room: A Virtual Intervention For Siblings Of Youth With Disabilities

Abstract

Evidence-based, psychosocial interventions for siblings of youth with disabilities are rare, but those that do exist typically occur in-person. Research is lacking on the impact of virtual support groups for siblings. This dissertation comprises two studies that describe the adaptation of an in-person intervention- SibWorks- into a virtual format (iSibWorks) and the psychosocial functioning of siblings before and after participating in the six-week iSibWorks intervention. The objectives of Study One included: (1) Adapt the in-person SibWorks group intervention for use on a virtual healthcare platform; and (2) Assess the acceptability of the adapted intervention, iSibWorks. Siblings were youth aged 8 to 12 years who had a sibling with a disability, and their caregivers. One week after the final session, siblings and their caregivers participated in separate semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using qualitative content analysis to examine intervention acceptability. The adaptation was successful, and iSibWorks was deemed acceptable and beneficial. Suggestions were provided to enhance the intervention’s future delivery, content, and engagement. The objective of Study Two was to evaluate the impact of participating in iSibWorks on psychosocial functioning at three time-points: before the intervention, one-week post-intervention and three-months post-intervention. Symptom severity at baseline was examined in relation to changes in psychosocial functioning over time. Validated measures were employed: Youth Self-Report (YSR; siblings) or Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; caregivers) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; siblings and caregivers). Participants (12 siblings and 13 caregivers) reported significant improvements in psychosocial functioning from baseline to post-intervention and these gains were maintained at three-month post-intervention. Participants reporting a high level of psychosocial difficulties at baseline demonstrated greater gains at follow-up. Overall, iSibWorks is a promising intervention to support the psychosocial functioning of siblings. Further research using control groups and comparing delivery models directly is recommended.