Randomized Controlled Trial of Parent and Child Mindfulness Training (MYmind) versus Medication

Abstract

This pre-registered ‘ADHD: Medication or Meditation’ trial presents the effects on parental outcomes comparing a mindfulness-based intervention (MYmind) for both parents and children with medication (methylphenidate) for children’s ADHD. Additionally, we examined correlations between meditation practice and outcomes in the mindfulness group. Parental scores were compared across treatments at four time points (pre-test, 2-, 4- and 10-months follow-ups). MYmind consisted of 8 weekly group-based 1,5 h mindfulness sessions for children and parallel mindful parenting for their parents, and a booster 2 months later. Medication treatment consisted of 4 months short-acting methylphenidate. Parents (70 mothers and 29 fathers) filled out self-reports on four domains: Parental stress (general stress, parenting stress and competence, parenting discipline styles), mindfulness (general mindfulness, mindful parenting, self-compassion), parental ADHD (hyperactivity/impulsivity, inattention), and parental well-being (overall well-being, externalizing and internalizing symptoms, attention problems, sleep). Regression analyses of significant interaction effects for time and condition showed that mothers in the mindfulness group improved more than mothers in the medication group on levels of overreactive parenting, self-compassion and quality of sleep. Fathers in the mindfulness group had larger improvements over fathers in the medication group on parental stress, mindful parenting, self-compassion, internalizing and attention problems. Positive relations were found for mothers only between amount of meditation practice and general mindfulness, parental stress, internalizing symptoms and sleep. All improvements between groups favored the family mindfulness intervention over medication. Our findings suggest that parents fair far better when families of children with ADHD take part in a mindfulness-based program compared to treating only the child with medication. Overall, parents of children with ADHD do far better when they take part in a family mindfulness-based program compared to treating only the child with medication; Mothers in the mindfulness group showed larger improvements than mothers in the medication group on overreactive parenting, self-compassion and quality of sleep; Fathers in the mindfulness group showed larger improvements than fathers in the medication group on parental stress, mindful parenting, self-compassion, internalizing and attention problems. Overall, parents of children with ADHD do far better when they take part in a family mindfulness-based program compared to treating only the child with medication; Mothers in the mindfulness group showed larger improvements than mothers in the medication group on overreactive parenting, self-compassion and quality of sleep; Fathers in the mindfulness group showed larger improvements than fathers in the medication group on parental stress, mindful parenting, self-compassion, internalizing and attention problems.