Effects of an online mindfulness-based program for parents of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A pilot mixed methods study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Online mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) for parents and families, especially in clinical populations, are limited. Low engagement and substantial dropout are major issues in MBP implementation. OBJECTIVE In this pilot study, we examined the effects of an online MBP on parents of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS A mixed methods study was applied to evaluate the effects of the online MBP. Forty-three parents were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group and waitlist control group. The MBP lasted for 28 days and consisted of 20 psychoeducation videos, with homework guidance audios, and 4 instructor-led online group meetings. Purposive sampling was then used to recruit parents who had completed the program to share their experiences and suggestions for improving the program in semi-structured online interviews. RESULTS The quantitative data showed that the participants of the online MBP perceived a medium to large effect on the reduction of child ADHD symptoms. The participants of the semi-structured interviews reported positive experiences regarding their help-seeking intention and regarding personal changes, such as in emotion regulation and paying quality attention to their children. The interview participants further made suggestions for the improvement of the MBP. CONCLUSIONS The online MBP had promising effects. A large-scale randomized controlled trial should be conducted to investigate the effects of the MBP in clinical populations. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05480423