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| A team of psychology students from UMM conducts research focused on reducing parent’s anxiety towards children with special needs (Photo: Special) |
Often, the handling of children with special needs (ABK) only focuses on the children, while in reality, those who spend the most time with them every day are their parents. Hence, Rivan Alamsyah, a psychology student from the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), along with his team, conducted research that successfully reached the final stage of the National Student Science Week (Pimnas). Their research focuses on reducing parental anxiety towards ABK and the role of parents in supporting them.
According to Rivan, the anxiety experienced by parents of ABK is often overlooked. Yet, they also need emotional support to better accompany their children. This program was born from the team’s observations and the increasing number of ABK in Indonesia. On the other hand, attention to the mental health of these parents is still minimal.
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“We observed that many parents of ABK feel emotionally overwhelmed but do not know how to manage their anxiety,” he said.
The psychological intervention applied by this team is the ‘Guided Imagery’ method, a technique that involves the structured use of imagination to help ABK parents manage anxiety. This technique combines deep breathing training, visualization, audio stimulation, and sensory focus. “We asked the parents to close their eyes, listen to the instructions provided, and imagine calming situations,” he explained.
Interestingly, this program is not just theoretical. Rivan's team successfully conducted interventions in six Special Needs Schools (SLB) in Malang city, namely SLB Bhakti Luhur, SLB-B YPTB, SLB Putra Jaya, SLB YPAC, SLB Widya Shantika, and SMALB BCG Sumber Dharma. Each school became a test site for the 'Guided Imagery' training, involving parents of ABK as participants.
After the training, the parents stated that this technique significantly helped them in dealing with the anxiety they had long experienced. Not only did the team provide training, but they also distributed teaching module books to each SLB partner. This module is expected to serve as a guide for schools to continue the program even after the students have completed their intervention.
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“In the future, we hope that this program will not only be implemented in several special schools in East Java, but can also reach other provinces in Indonesia,” he said.
He is confident that interventions like this can have a significant impact on improving the quality of life for ABK parents. Their program will continue to grow and become a real solution for ABK parents throughout Indonesia. "We are very grateful to have reached this stage, and of course, we will do our best at Pimnas later," he concluded. (*/wil/fajr)
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