Adult ADHD and the use of mindfulness-based practice: A pilot study
A. Allen, R. Ansari, J. Thurley, L. Murphy, E. Chan, C. McKinnon, R. Fitzgerald, A. Deeley, R. Wachter, J. Rajewski
European Psychiatry April 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.937 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Adults with ADHD |
| Intervention | Yoga practices |
| Duration | Single 2-hour session |
| Measures | Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale (CAMS-R), Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), session feedback survey |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | In a single two-hour pilot session of mindfulness- and yoga-based practices for 10 adults with ADHD, all participants rated the session helpful (43% strongly agreed, 57% agreed), and most reported they were likely to learn more about ADHD and meditation on their own (43% strongly agreed, 43% agreed, 14% neutral). The authors propose that meditation and mindfulness-based techniques in a group setting may help address some target ADHD symptoms, and intend to test a six-week program. |
Abstract
Educational
Objectives: The goal of this poster is to discuss a brief pilot study in which mindfulness – and yoga-based practices were utilized with a group of adult ADHD patients.
Methods: A sample of 10 adults participated in a pilot group which utilized the use mindfulness-based and yoga practices to address ADHD. This group was a single 2 hour session which was a pilot for a future 6-week psycho-educational group. The participants completed the following questionnaires: the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale (CAMS-R), the Freiburg mindfulness inventory and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in addition to a survey regarding levels of knowledge of yoga and mindfulness prior to the beginning of the session. The participants completed a survey at the end of the session.
Results: In our small sample group, all respondents reported that they found the session helpful (43% strongly agreed; 57% agreed). When asked if the participants were likely to explore and learn more about ADHD and meditation on their own based on what they learned in the session, most indicated that they were likely to (43% strongly agreed; 43% agreed and 14% were neutral).
Conclusions: The use of treatment modalities involving the use of meditation and mindfulness-based techniques in a group setting are thought to be helpful in addressing some of the target symptoms of ADHD. Based on the preliminary data collected in our small pilot study, our group intends to further explore the efficacy of meditation-based groups in the form of a 6-week training program in 2017. Disclosure of interest: The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |