From the Guidelines
Mindfulness training is beneficial for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), particularly in managing inattention symptoms, emotion regulation, executive function, and overall quality of life. The most recent and highest quality study, published in 2024 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1, highlights the rapidly increasing evidence for the use of mindfulness in managing ADHD in the general adult population. This study explains that mindfulness can be described as a cultivation of awareness that involves paying attention in the present moment, nonjudgmentally, and with kind acceptance.
Key benefits of mindfulness training for ADHD individuals include:
- Improvement in inattention symptoms
- Enhancement of emotion regulation
- Improvement in executive function
- Overall improvement in quality of life These benefits are supported by the understanding of the mechanisms of mindfulness at both the behavioral and neuronal levels, involving the default mode network, salience network, and central executive network 1.
Clinical guidelines, such as those from The Canadian Resource Alliance (CAD-DR) Canadian ADHD Practice Guidelines and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines in the United Kingdom, recommend mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) as a nonpharmacologic intervention for adults with ADHD 1. MBIs, such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs, have been shown to be effective in managing ADHD symptoms.
To implement mindfulness training, individuals with ADHD can start with guided mindfulness sessions, focusing on breath awareness or body scan techniques, and gradually increase duration as comfort develops. Consistency is more important than session length, and practicing at the same time each day helps establish the habit. While mindfulness shows promise, it works best when combined with appropriate medication and behavioral strategies rather than as a standalone treatment for ADHD.
From the Research
Benefits of Mindfulness Training for ADHD
- Mindfulness training may be a beneficial adjunct to evidence-based treatment for ADHD, strengthening attentional processes such as orienting, alerting, and executive attention 2.
- Preliminary findings suggest significant improvements in attentional processes, with prominent mindfulness-based approaches being successfully adapted for ADHD 2.
- Mindfulness-based training interventions have been shown to enhance symptoms of ADHD, improving emotional regulation and well-being, and thus improving quality of life 3.
- The difference in the level of attention, impulsivity, and emotional regulation between the study and control groups after mindfulness-based training intervention was statistically significant, indicating the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in improving inattention, impulsivity, and emotional regulation among children with ADHD 3.
Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that mindfulness-based interventions had a significant effect on ADHD symptoms, with an overall effect size of g = 0.77 4.
- Mindfulness-based interventions were also found to have a positive effect on externalizing behavior problems, internalizing behavior problems, mindfulness, and parental stress for children with ADHD 4.
- A randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness training to medication in the treatment of childhood ADHD found that mindfulness training was a potentially effective training for children and adolescents with ADHD, with benefits including improved attention and hyperactivity/impulsivity 5.
Recommendations for Mindfulness Training in ADHD Treatment
- Mindfulness training should be incorporated into current treatment guidelines as a psychosocial option for families with ADHD 2.
- Health care professionals should consider incorporating mindfulness-based techniques into standard treatment protocols for children with ADHD, and families should be educated about the benefits of mindfulness as family involvement appears to strengthen the effectiveness of these interventions 3.
- Mindfulness-based interventions should be made accessible in schools, community centers, and therapeutic settings to guarantee general distribution 3.