Promoting Psychological Well-Being through Self-Compassion Training among Parents of Children with Special Needs in Posyandu Disabilitas
TL;DR
The results indicated that participants demonstrated an understanding of basic mental health concepts, self-compassion principles, and simple emotion-regulation strategies, as well as an understanding of basic mental health concepts, self-compassion principles, and simple emotion-regulation strategies.
Abstract
Parents of children with special needs often encounter parenting stress, emotional exhaustion, and difficulties in maintaining psychological well-being while providing continuous caregiving. This community engagement program aimed to introduce self-compassion as a practical psychosocial approach to support parents of children with special needs and strengthen the capacity of Disability Integrated Health Posts (Posyandu Disabilitas/Posdilan) cadres in providing basic psychosocial support. The program involved 25 parents of children with special needs who also served as Posdilan cadres in Wedon, Lawang, Malang Regency. The activity was conducted through a 120-minute participatory training session consisting of psychoeducation on mental health and self-compassion, followed by experiential exercises focusing on self-kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity. Program evaluation was conducted using a post-test and participatory observation. The results indicated that participants demonstrated an understanding of basic mental health concepts, self-compassion principles, and simple emotion-regulation strategies. Participants also actively engaged in reflection activities, mindfulness exercises, and group discussions. The program produced a self-compassion educational module in printed and digital formats to support continued learning. This program demonstrates the feasibility of integrating self-compassion practices into community-based services to enhance psychosocial support for families of children with special needs.