Mindfulness Meditation Training in Adults and Adolescents With ADHD
Lidia Zylowska, Deborah L. Ackerman, May H. Yang, Julie L. Futrell, Nancy L. Horton, T. Sigi Hale, Caroly Pataki, Susan L. Smalley
Journal of Attention Disorders May 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1177/1087054707308502 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Feasibility study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 32 |
| Population | Adults and adolescents with ADHD |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Duration | 8-week training |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Most participants completed the 8-week mindfulness training and reported high satisfaction. Pre-post improvements were noted in self-reported ADHD symptoms, attention and cognitive inhibition test performance, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. The authors suggest mindfulness training is feasible and may improve impairments, warranting a controlled trial. |
Abstract
Objective: ADHD is a childhood-onset psychiatric condition that often continues into adulthood. Stimulant medications are the mainstay of treatment; however, additional approaches are frequently desired. In recent years, mindfulness meditation has been proposed to improve attention, reduce stress, and improve mood. This study tests the feasibility of an 8-week mindfulness training program for adults and adolescents with ADHD.
Method: Twenty-four adults and eight adolescents with ADHD enrolled in a feasibility study of an 8-week mindfulness training program.
Results: The majority of participants completed the training and reported high satisfaction with the training. Pre—post improvements in self-reported ADHD symptoms and test performance on tasks measuring attention and cognitive inhibition were noted. Improvements in anxiety and depressive symptoms were also observed.
Conclusion: Mindfulness training is a feasible intervention in a subset of ADHD adults and adolescents and may improve behavioral and neurocognitive impairments. A controlled clinical study is warranted. (J. of Att. Dis. 2008; 11(6) 737-746)
Citations in the library
Cited by 155
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- A systematic review of neurobiological and clinical features of mindfulness meditations Psychological Medicine November 27, 2009
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- Assessing adolescent mindfulness: Validation of an Adapted Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in adolescent normative and psychiatric populations. Psychological Assessment 2011
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Cites 13
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
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