Overview
The ‘Take A Breath’ (TAB) group program is an online, group mental health intervention for parents of very sick children.
It provides parents with the skills to manage the distress and psychological challenges presented by their child’s illness, with the aim of preventing more serious long-term mental health difficulties.
Our approach
A randomised controlled trial was conducted with parents at the RCH, including parents of children admitted to the oncology or cardiology departments or the paediatric intensive care unit, which found that TAB was effective in reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and improving their management of the illness (Muscara et al., 2020).
An implementation study has recently been completed, with 30 Royal Children’s Hospital mental health staff trained to use TAB. Many of these clinicians are now using TAB as part of their standard care. Currently, there are several groups overseas that are using TAB.
Resources/papers
Our team
Research team
- Frank Muscara
- Maria McCarthy
- Vicki Anderson
- Jan Nicholson
Partners and funders
Optional: ongoing funding opportunities
Funding has been awarded to the team that will allow them to conduct a national implementation trial to measure the impact of TAB on Ronald McDonald House Charity families. Data collection for this national trial commenced August 2024.