Mindfulness for Stress Reduction in Parents of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review

A systematic review of 19 studies (9 randomized controlled trials and 10 non-randomized) found that mindfulness-based interventions may reduce stress in parents of children with ADHD. Most studies reported statistically significant stress reduction immediately after the intervention, often maintained at follow-up, though some studies showed mixed or no significant differences, and one non-randomized study reported worsening of stress. Stress-related outcomes such as quality of life and psychological well-being also improved. The authors conclude that mindfulness-based interventions may have a significant role in reducing parental stress, but call for longer follow-up and lower risk of bias in future research.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) present high levels of stress. This population may benefit from Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) to reduce their stress. This systematic review assesses current literature about the efficacy of MBI for managing stress and stress-related outcomes among those parents. Methods: Studies published up to September 2025 were systematically searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus, and complemented with citation tracking. Both randomized and non-randomized studies were included, provided they quantitatively evaluated parenting stress. Bias assessment was performed using Cochrane ROB-2 and ROBINS-I tools and GRADE analysis was performed. A qualitative synthesis is presented due to the substantial heterogeneity among studies. Results: Nineteen studies including nine Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) and ten non-RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Eight studies used an MBI for parents only, ten studies had a parallel intervention for the child/adolescent, and one study used an MBI for parents and teachers. Overall, the studies showed statistically significant stress reduction, either immediately after the end of the MBI (five RCTs and three non-RCTs) and mostly maintained at follow-up or presenting a delayed therapeutic effect which was only evident at the follow-up analysis (one RCT and four non-RCTs). However, some studies reported only mixed findings or no significant differences (three RCTs and two non-RCTs), and one non-RCT reported worsening of stress. Stress-related outcomes varied among different studies. Conclusions: MBI may have a significant role in reducing the stress of parents of children with ADHD and may improve stress-related outcomes, such as quality of life, psychological well-being, and parenting over-reactivity. Further studies with longer follow-up periods and lower risk of bias are necessary to clarify possible effects of MBI in stress reduction in parents with ADHD.