Assessing willingness and preference for body scan practices in ADHD: a survey study.
Burcu Göz Tebrizcik, Alexandra L Georgescu, Eleanor J Dommett
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies March 29, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-025-04842-w (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 157 |
| Population | Individuals with ADHD |
| Intervention | body scan meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Adults With ADHD Body scan practices Treatment |
| Key findings | Most adults with ADHD are willing to engage in body scan practices and find them feasible, with symptom severity and available space predicting willingness. |
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition, but current treatment options are limited. Although medication is widely used, it does not fully address all challenges and can result in considerable side effects. One approach showing promise in alleviating symptoms is mindfulness. However, typical mindfulness-based stress reduction programmes require a significant time commitment, resulting in high attrition. Researchers have therefore started to focus on discrete components on mindfulness, including the body scan meditation. Before embarking on large-scale trials, it is helpful to understand the willingness and preferences for body scan practice. Using an online survey, we examined current mindfulness exercises and preferences, willingness, belief that it was feasible to engage in body scan practices in 157 individuals with ADHD. We found that most were not currently practising mindfulness but were willing to do so and believed that it was feasible. Symptom severity and available space were predictors of willingness. Preferences were shown for professional classes and 1-2 body scan practices per week. These data indicate people with ADHD are willing to engage with body scan practices, supporting the implementation of large-scale studies. The result provides insights to support the co-development of an intervention based on body scan meditation to manage the difficulties and the design of future studies to investigate its efficacy.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Reduces Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation in Veterans Medical Care November 13, 2014
- One Method for Objective Adherence Measurement in Mind–Body Medicine The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine January 31, 2011
and 8 more in the library