Online Mindfulness-based Intervention on Parents of Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

A Pilot Study on Application of Online Technology for Mindfulness-based Intervention on Parents of Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This project apply curriculum of online programme materials and structure for mindful parenting and caregiving. It will include four modules (introductory mindfulness, mindful parenting, applying mindfulness in challenging moments, and advanced exercises for parents of children with special needs). Each module will include short psychoeducation videos and audio mindfulness exercises that can be used in various web-based or application-based platforms. A set of videos and audio exercises will be produced for the core program materials. One study of online mindful parenting program reported a low completion rate below 30%, showing the significance of weekly video or phone contact by professionals in program engagement. Although web-based or application-based mindfulness intervention have become popular, very limited effort has been developed for applying mindfulness in parenting and caregiving using technology. Only two published studies on online mindfulness-based intervention for parents are identified. Objectives of the study are: 1. Investigate the effects of online mindfulness-based intervention for parents of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. 2. Validate the protocol of the programme and explore the needs to make refinements of the programme based on the quantitative outcome and qualitative interview analyses

Inclusion Criteria:

• parents whose children are between 6 and 18 years old and diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• parents can understand and speak Cantonese Chinese, and
• participants should be the primary caretaker of the children in the last one year

Exclusion Criteria:

• parents who were diagnosed with psychosis, developmental disabilities, or cognitive impairment, which may present difficulties in comprehending the content of the program,
• parents have had prior experience in any 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction/Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or equivalent program.