Clinical Application of Mindfulness-Oriented Meditation: A Preliminary Study in Children with ADHD
Ornella Santonastaso, Vittoria Zaccari, Cristiano Crescentini, Franco Fabbro, Viviana Capurso, Stefano Vicari, Deny Menghini
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health September 22, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186916 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA preliminary trial compared mindfulness-oriented meditation (MOM) training with an active control condition (Emotion Education Program, EEP) in 25 children aged 7–11 years with ADHD. MOM training, administered three times per week for eight weeks, led to significant improvements in all neuropsychological outcome measures and in ADHD symptoms, whereas the control condition did not. The authors suggest MOM training is a promising complementary or alternative intervention for ameliorating cognitive and clinical manifestations of ADHD.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | Children aged 7–11 years with ADHD |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-oriented meditation Emotion Education Program |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Neuropsychology Clinical psychology Intervention counseling |
| Citations | 43 |
| Key finding | Mindfulness-oriented meditation training improved neuropsychological measures and ADHD symptoms in children with ADHD compared to an active control condition. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-oriented meditation (MOM) is a self-regulatory training used for attentional and behavioral problems. With its focus on attention, MOM is a promising form of training that is gaining empirical support as a complementary or alternative intervention for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we tested the preliminary efficacy of MOM training in children with ADHD, by comparing its efficacy with an active control condition (Emotion Education Program, EEP). Twenty-five children with ADHD aged 7–11 years participated in MOM training (n = 15) or EEP (n = 10) 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Neuropsychological and academic measures and behavioral, emotional, and mindfulness ratings were collected before and after the two programs. On average, MOM training had positive effects on neuropsychological measures, as evidenced by a significant mean improvement in all outcome measures after training. Moreover, positive effects on ADHD symptoms were found only in the MOM group. Although they are preliminary, our results documented that MOM training promotes changes in neuropsychological measures and in certain behavioral symptoms, suggesting it as a promising tool for ameliorating cognitive and clinical manifestations of ADHD.