Mentalization-based intervention for parents with elevated parenting stress: protocol of a RCT of the lighthouse parenting programme in China

Front Psychol. 2026 May 8;17:1728608. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1728608. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

The period of childhood and early adolescence, specifically prior to the age of 14, is a critical phase for the prevention of mental health problems. Nevertheless, prevention programs for this age group remain under recognized in China. In this domain, the lighthouse parenting programme (LPP) has successfully achieved initial results in several countries. This paper describes the protocol of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) using a waiting list control design to evaluate the potential efficacy and applicability of LPP with Chinese parents. The trial is designed as an exploratory investigation into possible associations between the LPP and changes in parenting stress, parenting-related psychological correlates, and the mental health risk profiles of their children.

METHODS: A total of N = 44 parents with elevated parenting stress and raising children aged 4 to 14 years will be recruited. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the treatment immediate group (TI) or a waitlist control group (WL). Primary outcomes will include participant’s parenting stress and other parenting-related correlates (e.g., parental mentalizing, personality functioning, self-efficacy, and mental health, parent-child relationship quality), and children’s variables (e.g., child’s behavior difficulties and temperament). Parents’ subjective experiences and satisfaction with the intervention will also be assessed. Secondary outcomes will include recruitment, retention, and dropout rates, as well as participant characteristics and factors influencing intervention effectiveness. The data will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.

DISCUSSION: This study signifies the first implementation of LPP in Asia, emphasizing prevention. It seeks not only to evaluate the clinical utility of LPP but also to initially explore the implementation potential of MBT-based prevention programs in China. Findings from this trial are expected to inform future directions in the development and implementation of culturally attuned psychotherapeutic interventions in China.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.govclinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT06858059.

PMID:42183562 | PMC:PMC13194458 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1728608