ObjectiveAttention 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.MethodSeven databases were searched using the PRISMA criteria and included peer-reviewed journals and grey literature.ResultsTen 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.DiscussionThe 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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Recent intervention research with children and young people has reflected these positive results. The evidence is growing and it includes studies that have found improvements in attention, executive functioning (EF), emotional reactivity, meta-cognition and behavioural regulation (Flook et al., 2010;Saltzman & Goldin, 2008; Semple, 2010).These could be seen as promising results for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At a neurobiological level, children with ADHD display impairments in the prefrontal cortex, which is the area of the brain that regulates the EF and attention (Purper-Ouakil et al., 2011) that is linked to poor performance in EF, including