A new study has found that parents who have children with ADHD may benefit from mindfulness training. Children with ADHD have a lot of challenges that they have to work hard to get through, and studies are constantly being done to see what treatments and support can be offered to help them thrive. However, parents of these children can often become "forgotten." They spend so much time and energy on their child and making sure that they have everything they need for their health and wellbeing, that they don’t think about the help and support they may need.
According to Study Finds, a new study has shown that mindfulness training can be incredibly beneficial to parents of children with ADHD. The study was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and can be read in full here.
The study initially set out to see if a mindfulness-based intervention would help children with ADHD, specifically those who did not respond well to other ADHD treatments. What the researchers found was that this type of treatment was not only beneficial for the children, but for the parents as well. That it had a positive effect on the psychological symptoms and behavior of both children and their parents.
The study split up children into two groups, and the children ranged in age from 8 to 16 years old. One of the groups received the normal care and treatment that children with ADHD are receiving and the other half received the mindfulness-based intervention with at least one parent involved. They completed both types of treatment for 8 weeks. It surprised the researchers to see that parents benefited from this therapy right alongside their children.
They showed to have an increase in mindful parenting, self-compassion, and an improvement in mental health.
When they followed up with these families, the effects were still there up to 6 months later. The children showed some positive effects, but it was very minimal, the only trait that seemed to have a significant change to it was self-control.
The researchers are saying that this study is showing that they may need to look broader at how to improve symptoms in family members and caregivers for children with ADHD. These families reported that their relationships had improved and so had their insights and acceptance when it came to ADHD. Perhaps this could impact the child in a positive way as well, by helping their family members be better equipped for their care.
Sources: Medical Xpress, ACAMH