A systematic review of mindfulness based interventions for children and young people with ADHD and their parents
Open accessAbstract
Objective: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent disorders in childhood, which may pose risks in later life such as academic underachievement and anti-social behaviour. It has been suggested that mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) may contribute to positive outcomes with child and adult populations. In this article, we aim to systematically review the literature regarding the effectiveness of MBI on both children with ADHD and their parents. Method: Seven databases were searched using the PRISMA criteria and included peer-reviewed journals and grey literature. Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings suggested that MBI had positive results in addressing attention deficits in children with ADHD, but in terms of hyperactivity, the evidence was conflicting. MBI interventions also appear to effectively address parental stress and family functioning. However, the rating from the quality assessment showed several methodological limitations. Discussion: The current evidence on the impact of MBI on ADHD symptoms is non-conclusive. However, promising data indicated the potential for MBI in addressing parental stress and family functioning. Further research is recommended to overcome the current methodological limitations.
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Mindfulness training is effective in reducing parenting stress in parents of children with ADHD and mothers of children with ASD.
“Mindfulness training has also shown to be effective in reducing parenting stress in parents of children with ADHD [53, 70] and mothers of children with ASD [25].”
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ResultSingle-case research methods: An overview.
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The Efficacy of Mindfulness Meditation in Increasing the Attention Span in Children With ADHD
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“Where reported, the significant change in attention, reported by parents and teachers, showed a medium to large effect size (Haydicky, et al., 2013; Haydicky, 2014; Sidhu, 2013; van der Oord, et al., 2012; van de Weijer-Bergsma, et al., 2012; Worth, 2013).”
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“Due to these side effects, medication treatment fidelity is low (Domnitei & Madaan, 2010) and nonadherence reaches 70% in adolescence (Wolraich et al., 2005).”
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“Promising results were found in experimental studies where mindfulness based strategies have been implemented with children with ASD and co-morbid ADHD, learning disabilities, and their parents (Benn et al., 2014; Blackledge & Hayes, 2006; Dykens et al, 2012; Hwang et al., 2015; Singh et al., 2006).”
ResultHaydicky, J., Shecter, C., Wiener, J., & Ducharme, J. M. (2013) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-013-9815-1 · cited 3×
“Adolescents did not perceive changes in their inattention level after the MBI in the studies by: Haydicky et al. (2013), Haydicky (2014), and van de Weijen-Bergsma, et al. (2012).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Flagged first, then by citations
2 of the 83 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
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Oliva, F., Malandrone, F., di Girolamo, G., Mirabella, S., Colombi, N., Carletto, S., & Ostacoli, L. (2021) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.068 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Bigelow, H., Gottlieb, M., Ogrodnik, M., Graham, J. D., & Fenesi, B. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.660845 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
“, studies using active control groups and an adequate sample size) to make definitive commentary about how acute mindfulness meditation affects children and youth with ADHD (Chimiklis et al., 2018; Tercelli and Ferreira, 2020; Vekety et al., 2021).”
BackgroundBrancati, G. E., Perugi, G., Milone, A., Masi, G., & Sesso, G. (2021) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.06.033 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Lee, C. S. C., Ng, K.-H., Chan, P. C. K., & Peng, X. (2022) · Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.1177/15691861211073826 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Results supported that mindfulness-based interventions had benefits for parental stress and children’s problem behaviors (Tercelli & Ferreira, 2019).”
BackgroundResultRuskin, D., Young, M., Sugar, C., & Nofech-Mozes, J. (2021) · The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/acm.2020.0191 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“14,15 Psychological flexibility refers to the ability to change or maintain one’s behavior in open contact with thoughts and feelings to pursue valued life goals.”
Garcia, Y., Keller-Collins, A., Andrews, M., Kurumiya, Y., Imlay, K., Umphrey, B., & Foster, E. (2022) · Behavior Modification · doi:10.1177/01454455211027301 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“…mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), mindfulness-based positive support (MBPBS), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are growing in popularity as a treatment for individuals with NDDs (Cachia et al., 2016; Patterson et al., 2019; Singh & Hwang, 2020; Tercelli & Ferreira, 2019).”
BackgroundResultLo, H. H. M., Lam, J., Zhang, Z. J., Cheung, M., Chan, S. K. C., Wong, E. W. Y., Bögels, S. M., & Chui, W. H. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1376867 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Parents of children with ADHD have reported higher levels of parenting stress, lower levels of social support and quality of life, and greater marital con fl icts than parents of children without ADHD (9, 10).”
BackgroundKretschmer, C. R., Tebrizcik, B. G., & Dommett, E. J. (2022) · Psychiatry International · doi:10.3390/psychiatryint3040031 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“In line with previous reviews, we have identified a need for more highquality studies in this area using randomized designs [55,62–64,86] with greater statistical power [54,56].”
BackgroundCo-designed Mindful Parenting for Parents of Children with ADHD: A Pilot and Feasibility Study
Leitch, S., Sciberras, E., Rinehart, N., & Evans, S. (2021) · Child Psychiatry & Human Development · doi:10.1007/s10578-021-01260-0 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Vithana, K. V. G. S. G., & Asurakkody, T. A. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-024-02331-2 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Miranda, A., Berenguer, C., Miranda, B. R., Martı́nez-Raga, J., & Mulas, F. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13020814 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“be effective in reducing parenting stress and depression symptoms in mothers of children with ADHD [69,70].”
BackgroundCavicchioli, M., Ogliari, A. L., Movalli, M., & Maffei, C. (2022) · Substance Use & Misuse · doi:10.1080/10826084.2022.2120358 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“Additionally, it has been shown that mindfulness-based programs improve conflict monitoring and sustained attention performances of children and adolescents with ADHD (Tercelli & Ferreira, 2019; Van de Weijer-Bergsma et al., 2012; Zylowska et al., 2008).”
BackgroundGkora, V., & Driga, A. M. (2023) · Journal Health and Technology - JHT · doi:10.47820/jht.v2i2.37 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise for improving attentional control and executive functioning in individuals with ADHD 62, 59 .”
BackgroundMindfulness Measures for Children and Adolescents: a Systematic Review
Bender, S. L., Lawson, T., & Palacios, A. M. (2022) · Contemporary School Psychology · doi:10.1007/s40688-022-00433-5 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“For example, MBIs have been implemented with adolescents with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms (Tercelli & Ferreira, 2019), minoritized children with depression symptoms (Dunning et al., 2019; Liehr & Diaz, 2010), and children with learning and anxiety disorders (Beauchemin…”
MethodMindfulness-based interventions for adults with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Kim, H., & Jung, N. (2025) · Medicine · doi:10.1097/md.0000000000044308 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“[42,43] One possible explanation is the inclusion of relatively short-duration interventions in several studies, which may have been insufficient to produce robust changes in trait-level constructs such as dispositional mindfulness or sustained emotional regulation.”
Jiao, X., Yang, L., & Li, S. (2025) · Nursing Open · doi:10.1002/nop2.70180 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“…approaches such as mindfulness-based interventions, ACT, and compassion-focused therapy (CFT) serves as a psychological resource that can effectively prevent or interrupt these problematic patterns of child–parent interaction (Lee et al. 2022; Tercelli and Ferreira 2019; Townshend et al. 2016).”
Tönis, K. J. M., Drossaert, C. H. C., ten Klooster, P. M., Schaer, M., Bourgeron, T., Buitelaar, J. K., Sadaka, Y., Freitag, C. M., Lapidus, K. M., Chiocchetti, A. G., et al. (2024) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-024-08256-w · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Mindfulness training has also shown to be effective in reducing parenting stress in parents of children with ADHD [53, 70] and mothers of children with ASD [25].”
BackgroundAnthony, S. J., Selkirk, E. K., Lin, J., Mitchell, J., Robertson, T., Donma, A. J., Seifert-Hansen, M., Telfer, H., & Kohut, S. A. (2024) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-024-02445-z · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“…skills (Rayan & Ahmad, 2016; Thieleman & Cacciatore, 2020), coping (Ruskin et al., 2018, 2021; Thieleman & Cacciatore, 2022), and family functioning (Rayan & Ahmad, 2016; Tercelli & Ferreira, 2019) among parents of children with chronic conditions, in particular, mothers of HTx recipients.”
Kim, S., Munten, S., Kolla, N. J., & Thege, B. K. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1248963 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Tönis, K. J. M., Velikova, S. R., Drossaert, C. H. C., ten Klooster, P. M., Staal, W., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2025) · Research in Neurodiversity · doi:10.1016/j.rin.2025.100009 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Zhang, Z. J., Lo, H. H. M., Bögels, S. M., Cheung, R. Y. M., Lau, E. N. S., Lee, E. K. P., Ng, S., Au, A. M. L., & Yeung, W. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-02929-0 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Given that the parents of children with ADHD might experience significant higher level of parental stress [9, 10], future online MBIs should explore integrating professional support with various technological approaches.”
Alsuhimi, S. A. (2025) · Applied Neuropsychology Child · doi:10.1080/21622965.2025.2502358 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Gopalkrishnan, I. K. (2021) · Advances in psychology, mental health, and behavioral studies (APMHBS) book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-8682-2.ch007
Rubio, A. D. R. M., Núñez, M. N., Hernández, V. F. F., & Salazar, C. M. L. (2023) · LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades · doi:10.56712/latam.v4i1.444 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Rubio, A. D. R. M., Núñez, M. N., Hernández, V. F. F., & Salazar, C. M. L. (2023) · LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades · doi:10.56712/latam.v4i1.446
Mindfulness and its Application for Mind–Body Challenges in Children and Adolescents
Choudhury, A., Clare, C., Koduri, S., & Saxena, K. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-18377-5_32
Lo, H. H. M., Lam, J., Zhang, Z. J., Cheung, M., Chan, S. K. C., Wong, E. W. Y., Bögels, S. M., & Chui, W. H. (2023) · doi:10.2196/preprints.46872
Lo, H. H. M. (2023) · Autism and child psychopathology series · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-24926-6_22
Mindfulness as a therapeutic tool for adolescents with ADHD
Moshe, V. (2024) · E-Journal VFU · doi:10.53606/evfu.22.141-153
Landin, I., Perrin, S. G., Tallberg, P., Borell, J., & Gustafsson, P. (2025) · Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology · doi:10.2478/sjcapp-2025-0003
“The improvements at the 12-week follow-up were of similar size to those reported at post-treatment for core ADHD symptoms, comorbid anxiety and depression, and overall functioning or quality of life, in previous MBI studies of adolescents with ADHD (14, 30-31).”
Hassani, M., Khodabakhshi‐Koolaee, A., & Jafari, A. (2025) · international journal high risk behaviors & addiction · doi:10.5812/ijhrba-161328
Tönis, K. J. M., Drossaert, C. H. C., ten Klooster, P. M., Schaer, M., Bourgeron, T., Buitelaar, J. K., Sadaka, Y., Freitag, C. M., Lapidus, K. M., Chiocchetti, A. G., et al. (2024) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.26739486
Mindful Parenting for Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorder Diagnosis
Muratori, P., Catarina, A., Conversano, A., Levantini, V., Villani, S., & Milone, A. (2026) · Children · doi:10.3390/children13030325
Alshmmry, S. W., Wigelsworth, M., & Birchinall, L. (2026) · Pastoral Care in Education · doi:10.1080/02643944.2026.2695862
Saenz, M. G., Iverson, I. A., MacDonald, B., Bar, S., Greenwald, E., El‐Behadli, A. F., & Edgar, V. B. (2026) · Child Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/09297049.2026.2706034
- Authors
- Tercelli, I., & Ferreira, N.
- Affiliations
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- University of Nicosia (CY)
- Corresponding author
- Ferreira, Nuno
- Venue
- Global Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2019-05-01
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 79-95
- ISSN
- 2451-4950 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2945088495
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 83
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 0.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- GLOBAL PSYCHIATRY ARCHIVES (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- mindfulness-based interventions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, children and young people, parents of children with ADHD, parental stress, family functioning, hyperactivity, attention deficits, intervention effectiveness
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