Mindfulness Training for Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Mindful Parenting

Mindfulness Training for Children With ADHD and Mindful Parenting

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness group training for children (8-16 years old) with ADHD in combination with a parallel mindful parenting training for their parents. Half of the participants will be randomly assigned to the mindfulness training in addition to care-as-usual (CAU); the other half to CAU-only.

The hypothesis is that compared to care-as-usual only, the addition of the mindfulness training will improve self-control of youth with ADHD.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Child has a clinical diagnosis of ADHD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; DSM-IV or DSM-5 system, and confirmed by a structured interview (The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for school-Age Children (K-SADS)).
• Child receives CAU and has remaining ADHD-symptoms (average score > 1.0 on the investigator-rated DSM-5 items from the Conners' ADHD rating scale).
• Child is between 8 and 16 years old.
• At least one parent is willing to participate.
• ADHD medication dose is stable, or there is an informed decision on not taking ADHD medication.
• Psychiatric comorbidities are allowed except psychosis, bipolar illness, active suicidality, untreated posttraumatic stress disorder or substance use, provided ADHD is the primary diagnosis in the child; similarly, psychopathology in the parents is allowed except psychosis, bipolar disorder, active suicidality, untreated posttraumatic stress disorder or substance use.
• Child and parent have an estimated intelligence quotient (IQ) ≥ 80.
• Child and parent have adequate mastery of Dutch language.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Child or the participating parent(s) have participated in a mindfulness programme in the past year or ever in a Mindful Parenting training.
• Child or parent is participating in another intervention study.