# Families’ experiences of the Low Arousal Approach: a qualitative study

## TL;DR

This study explores how parents and carers experience using the Low Arousal Approach to manage stress-related behaviors in their family members.

## Contribution

The study provides novel insights into the lived experiences of families using the Low Arousal Approach, emphasizing the importance of parental perspectives.

## Key findings

- Parents reported reduced stress and increased confidence after training in the Low Arousal Approach.
- The approach was described as a lifestyle that improved overall family coping.
- Parents emphasized the need for support systems that recognize their unique challenges and perspectives.

## Abstract

Parents and carers supporting a family member presenting with behaviors of concern experience heightened stress. The Low Arousal Approach is a crisis management strategy which recognizes that stress, or physiological arousal, can be expressed through behaviors of concern. This approach aims to equip parents and carers to manage behaviors in a person-centered and non-confrontational way. There is a paucity of published research exploring the experiences of families applying this approach.

Seventeen parents who had received training in the Low Arousal Approach were interviewed to gain their perspectives on supporting their family members using this approach.

Thematic analysis revealed themes relating to parental stress, which was related to external pressures, isolation, family stress, and challenges in their caring role. They described encountering negative narratives relating to self-criticism and negative judgments from others. Training in the Low Arousal Approach was related to being empowered through access to evidence, increased confidence, and increased ability to advocate for their family member’s needs. Low Arousal was described as a “lifestyle” that enabled increased coping for the family unit as a whole.

Findings indicate that it is vitally important to recognize the views of parents and carers, and these are equally as important as the views of professionals. We must understand parents’ and carers’ needs in order to provide adequate support.