Study: Family Mindfulness Based Intervention Benefits Parents of Children with ADHD
The 8-week mindfulness based intervention called MYmind was found to benefit parents of children with ADHD, according to a small study from the Netherlands. Caregivers who participated in the family sessions experienced improvements in mindful parenting, self-compassion, and mental health.
May 28, 2021
Parents of children with ADHD experienced improvements in over-reactivity, impulsivity, self-compassion, and overall mental health after participating in an 8-week, family mindfulness based intervention (MBI) called MYmind, according to a study published in the Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology.1
Participants with ADHD, ages 8 to 16 years, were divided into two groups: 48 received care as usual (CAU) and 55 also participated in MYmind sessions for 90 minutes once a week with at least one parent. The randomized control trial, called MindCamp, was used to compare both groups. Assessments conducted immediately following treatment and at two- and six-month follow-ups showed modest improvements among child participants but lasting gains among their caregivers.
The MYmind with CAU group did not outperform the CAU-only group in reducing caregiver ratings of self-control deficits, though teacher-rated self-control deficits and parent-rated inattentiveness and hyperactivity-impulsivity did improve among the MBI participants. Of greater note, participating parents experienced long-term improvements in mindfulness, self-compassion, and mental-health that persisted for at least six months after the training.
“Many families reported important improvements in family relationships and insight in and acceptance of ADHD,” said Corina Greven, psychologist at the Radboud Center for Mindfulness. “We need to go broader than just looking at whether an intervention reduces symptoms, and include additional outcomes that families find important.”2
Sources
1 Nienke M. Siebelink, Susan M. Bögels, Anne E. M. Speckens, Janneke T. Dammers, Thomas Wolfers, Jan K. Buitelaar, Corina U. Greven. A randomised controlled trial (MindChamp) of a mindfulness-based intervention for children with ADHD and their parents. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (May 2021). https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.13430
2 Families with a child with ADHD can benefit from mindfulness training. Eurekaalert.org (May 2021) https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/rumc-fwa052721.php
