From the Guidelines
Mindfulness is a useful complementary approach for treating ADHD in both children and adults, though it should not replace standard treatments like medication and behavioral therapy. Research shows that mindfulness practices can help improve attention, reduce impulsivity, and decrease hyperactivity symptoms in people with ADHD 1. For adults, daily mindfulness meditation sessions of 10-20 minutes can help strengthen attention control and reduce stress. For children, shorter 5-10 minute guided mindfulness exercises, adapted to be age-appropriate and engaging, work better. Specific practices include breath awareness, body scan meditations, and mindful movement activities like yoga. These techniques work by strengthening the prefrontal cortex, which governs executive functions often impaired in ADHD, and by teaching individuals to notice when their attention wanders and gently bring it back. Consistency is key—regular practice over weeks and months produces the best results. Mindfulness can be particularly helpful for managing emotional regulation difficulties that often accompany ADHD. To implement mindfulness effectively, start with short sessions, use guided recordings or apps designed for ADHD, practice at the same time daily, and be patient as benefits typically develop gradually over time.
Some key points to consider when using mindfulness for ADHD treatment include:
- Starting with short sessions and gradually increasing duration as needed
- Using guided recordings or apps designed for ADHD to help individuals stay on track
- Practicing at the same time daily to establish a consistent routine
- Being patient and allowing benefits to develop over time
- Combining mindfulness with standard treatments like medication and behavioral therapy for optimal results
It's also important to note that while mindfulness can be a helpful complementary approach, it should not be used as a replacement for standard treatments. Medications like psychostimulants and non-stimulants, as well as behavioral therapies, are still essential for managing ADHD symptoms 1. By combining mindfulness with these standard treatments, individuals with ADHD can experience improved attention, reduced impulsivity, and decreased hyperactivity symptoms, ultimately leading to a better quality of life.
From the Research
Effectiveness of Mindfulness for ADHD
- Mindfulness training may be a useful adjunct to evidence-based treatment for ADHD, with preliminary findings suggesting significant improvements in attentional processes 2.
- A review of 15 papers found that mindfulness interventions had a significant effect on ADHD symptoms in adults, but the results were unclear for other outcomes, and uncertain for children and adolescents 3.
- A meta-analytic review of 10 studies found that mindfulness-based therapies had a moderate effect size in reducing symptoms of inattention (d = -.66) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (d = -.53) in individuals with ADHD 4.
Mindfulness-Based Therapies for ADHD
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials found that meditation-based therapies were significantly more efficacious than control conditions in decreasing the severity of ADHD core symptoms in both children/adolescents and adults 5.
- However, the evidence was deemed insufficient due to the paucity of RCTs, heterogeneity across studies, and lack of studies at low risk of bias 5.
Comparison with Other Treatments
- A study comparing the effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on intrinsic brain activity in children with ADHD found that both medications had differential effects on brain activity, but did not investigate the effects of mindfulness-based therapies 6.
- The study suggests that mindfulness-based therapies may have a different mechanism of action compared to pharmacological treatments, but more research is needed to fully understand their effects 2, 3, 4, 5.