Effectiveness of A Mindful Parenting Group Intervention on the Parent-Child Relationship in Parents of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a mindful parenting intervention on the parent-child relationship and parental mindfulness. Materials and Methods: This unblinded, randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group design was conducted with parents of children with ADHD treated at Siriraj Hospital. The intervention group (13 participants) participated in six weekly mindful parenting group sessions, while the control group (10 participants) received psychoeducation about mindful parenting. The Parent-Child Relationship Questionnaire (PCRQ) and Srithanya Sati Scale (SSS) were administered at baseline, post-intervention, and at an 8-week follow-up. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model. Results: Although no significant group-by-time interaction was found, conditional marginal effect analysis revealed distinct longitudinal patterns. For parental mindfulness (SSS), the intervention group showed a significant immediate improvement post-intervention (B=4.54, p=0.012), followed by a "fade-out" effect at the 8-week follow-up (p=0.203), due to skill decay after the withdrawal of structured support. In contrast, for the parent-child relationship (PCRQ), the experimental group demonstrated persistence by maintaining stable scores, whereas the control group experienced a significant decline during the follow-up period (B=-4.10, p=0.009). Conclusion: The intervention showed promise as a protective buffer for parent-child relationships and an immediate mindfulness boost. However, the 8-week mindfulness fade-out highlights the need for ongoing reinforcement. Despite the small sample and short follow-up, the findings suggest that sustaining environment is essential for long-term impact. Further rigorous longitudinal studies are recommended.