A Comparison of Mindfulness-Based Group Training and Skills Group Training in Adults With ADHD
Marc-Andreas Edel, Tanja Hölter, Kristina Wassink, Georg Juckel
Journal of Attention Disorders April 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1177/1087054714551635 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Non-randomized controlled comparison Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 91 |
| Population | Adults with ADHD (combined and inattentive type, mainly medicated) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based training |
| Duration | 13 weekly 2-hour sessions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Both mindfulness-based training and dialectical behavior therapy skills training reduced ADHD symptoms and improved mindfulness and self-efficacy to a similar degree, with small-to-medium effect sizes. A 30% or greater reduction in ADHD symptoms occurred in 30.8% of the mindfulness group and 11.5% of the skills group. The authors suggest the modest results may reflect the absence of randomization, no untreated control group, and unmatched groups for borderline, depression, and anxiety status. |
Abstract
Objective: To compare a novel “third wave” mindfulness-based training program with an established skills training derived from dialectical behavior therapy, to reduce ADHD symptoms and improve mindfulness and self-efficacy.
Method: Ninety-one adults with ADHD (combined and inattentive type, mainly medicated) were non-randomly assigned to and treated within a mindfulness-based training group (MBTG, n = 39) or a skills training group (STG, n = 52), each performed in 13 weekly 2-hr sessions.
Results: General linear models with repeated measures revealed that both programs resulted in a similar reduction of ADHD symptoms, and improvement of mindfulness and self-efficacy. However, the effect sizes were in the small-to-medium range. A decrease in ADHD symptoms ≥30% was observed in 30.8% of the MBTG participants and 11.5% of the STG participants.
Conclusion: The comparatively weak results may be due to limitations such as the absence of randomization, the lack of a control group without intervention, and the lack of matching groups for borderline, depression, and anxiety status. Moreover, audio instructions for home exercises and more stringent monitoring of participants’ progress and eventual absence from sessions might have improved the outcome.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 19
- Induced Boredom Constrains Mindfulness: An Online Demonstration Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - Open Journal August 4, 2015
- Entrenamiento en Mindfulness para Pacientes con Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad (TDAH): una Revisión Descriptiva Revista de Psicoterapia March 1, 2016
- Associations Linking ADHD Traits and Psychopatological Symptoms: The Contribution of Interoceptive Awareness and Dispositional Mindfulness Mindfulness July 1, 2026
- Mindfulness-based interventions for adults with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis Medicine September 12, 2025
- What is the Most Helpful Body‐Scan Posture for People with Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Tendency? Japanese psychological research August 6, 2024
and 14 more in the library
Cites 7
- 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
- Defining mindfulness by how poorly I think I pay attention during everyday awareness and other intractable problems for psychology's (re)invention of mindfulness: Comment on Brown et al. (2011). Psychological Assessment 2011
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
- A Pilot Trial of Mindfulness Meditation Training for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adulthood: Impact on Core Symptoms, Executive Functioning, and Emotion Dysregulation Journal of Attention Disorders December 4, 2013
and 2 more in the library