Effectiveness of mindfulness parent training on parenting stress and children’s ADHD-related behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background/Objective Literature shows that there is a circular relationship between children’s ADHD-related behaviors and parenting stress. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to understand if mindfulness parent trainings have benefits for both parenting stress and the problem behaviors in children with ADHD. Methods Five databases, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMED, and Web of Science, were searched. Within-group effects at post-treatment and follow-up assessment, and between-group effects at post-treatment were analyzed. Effect sizes (Hedges’ g) were also calculated. Results Ten studies (5 RCTs and 5 non-RCTs) met the selection criteria and were selected for systematic review, and nine of them were included for meta-analysis. Among these 10 studies, five studies involved mindfulness training for both parents and children, while the other five studies involved mindfulness training for parents only. Within-group effects at post-treatment were small-to-large for all outcomes. Hedges’ g ranged between −0.17 [95% CI (−0.98, 0.64)] and 4.70 [95% CI (3.59, 5.81)] for parenting stress; 0.17 [95% CI (−0.03, 0.37)] and 4.03 [95% CI (2.97, 5.09)] for children’s problem behaviors; and 0.20 [95% CI (−0.10, 0.50)] and 2.98 [95% CI (2.16, 3.80)] for children’s ADHD symptoms. Between-group comparisons showed mindfulness parent training was superior to other active controls on all outcomes. Conclusion Findings suggest that mindfulness parent training may be beneficial for parenting stress and children’s ADHD-related behaviors, and due to the small number of studies reviewed, cautions should be taken when interpreting the results.

Mindful Parenting Intervention MinUTo App for Parents of Preschool Children: Study Protocol of a Randomised Controlled Trial

“…We also hypothesise a direct effect of the MinUTo intervention on parenting stress, measured in the present study using the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF Italian version [34]). A direct effect of mindful intervention in reducing parenting stress was described in several studies considering parents of children and adolescents with typical and atypical development [8,15]. In our study, we hypothesise a positive effect on the Total Stress global score as well as on Parental Distress and Parent-child Dysfunctional Interaction subscales.…”

“…Several experiences of mindful parenting training and interventions have been proposed for parents of children at risk or with atypical development. Mindfulness training has been offered to parents of children with ADHD, showing positive effects in reducing parenting stress and children's symptoms [8]. Positive effects of mindfulness interventions for parents of children between 3 and 12 years with externalising behaviour were described with decreased parental stress and child problems [9].…”

“…In addition, the positive effects of mindful parenting on parents' well-being were more evident in parents of children with medical than psychological conditions [7]. However, despite the promising results of mindfulness-based interventions in promoting parents' mental health of children with developmental disorders, these reviews and metaanalyses suggested caution due to the small number of studies carried out [8]. Evidence, indeed, is still at an early stage, calling for more randomised controlled trials to consolidate these findings in the literature [11].…”

Interventions to address parenting stress among caregivers of children with chronic diseases: An umbrella review

“…Lee et al. (2022) included 10 (five non‐RCTs and five RCTs) studies of children with ADHD and their parents, aiming to evaluate if mindfulness parent training benefits PS. The meta‐analysis included nine of them.…”

“…In addition, only one review reported the follow-up results of mindfulness interventions (Lee et al, 2022), which limits the feasibility of this umbrella review to assess the lasting effects of the interventions.…”