The effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention on improving executive functions and reducing the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in young children
Nawal Ahmed Aboalola
Applied neuropsychology. Child April 27, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2023.2203321 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest follow-up study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 56 |
| Population | Children aged 5 to 7 years (M = 6.9, SD = 1.7) with ADHD or symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity |
| Duration | 4-week training, with post-test and follow-up assessments |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The mindfulness-based training group outperformed the control group on post-test executive function and ADHD symptoms. Improvements appeared from pre-test to post-test and were maintained at follow-up, with no significant difference between post-test and follow-up. The authors argue that executive function skills can be enhanced in young children with ADHD through group play-based mindfulness activities. |
Abstract
Abstract The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention on improving executive functions and reducing the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in young children. This study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental, pretest and post-test and follow up design. 56 children between 5 and 7 years of age(M = 6.9, SD= 1.7) with ADHD or with symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity are being recruited to participate in the mindfulness-based intervention. To determine whether there are any significant differences between the two independent (unrelated) groups on executive functions and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, pre-post-follow up test and multiple comparisons are used. Pretest assessments were conducted for both the control and training groups. Following the pretest, a four-weeks of training commenced for the intervention group only. T-test results for the differences in post- test mean scores between the two groups in EF and in ADHD symptoms showed that the training group outperformed the control group. There were statistical differences in EF and in ADHD symptoms between pre and post measures in favor of post test, and between pre and follow up measures in favor of follow up test, but no statistical differences between post and follow up test. This study demonstrates that it is possible to enhance EF skills using mindfulness-based intervention in which young with ADHD are engaged in a series of group play based activities.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Impact of mindfulness-based strategy training on working memory in twice-exceptional students in Saudi Arabia The Education and science journal July 23, 2025
- Development and Training of Mindfulness and Its Relationship with Executive Function in Chinese Rural Upper-Grade Elementary School Students. Behavioral Sciences March 26, 2025
- Mindfulness-based interventions in psychopedagogy for students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): a scoping review Frontiers in Psychology August 11, 2026
- The use of mindfulness based interventions for school-aged children with ADHD in the United States - a literature review. Child Neuropsychology: A Journal of Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence July 22, 2026
Cites 9
- Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence Journal of Neuroscience October 21, 2009
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Behavioral Problems and Attentional Functioning in Adolescents with ADHD Journal of Child and Family Studies September 21, 2011
- Using Mindfulness-Based Interventions to Support Self-regulation in Young Children: A Review of the Literature. Early childhood education journal March 21, 2022
- Mindfulness‐based interventions for improving cognition, academic achievement, behavior, and socioemotional functioning of primary and secondary school students Campbell Systematic Reviews December 30, 2019
- Effects of mindfulness and psychoeducation on working memory in adult ADHD: A randomised, controlled fMRI study. Behaviour Research and Therapy July 1, 2018
and 4 more in the library