Do meditation-based therapies benefit people with ADHD?

Takeaway

• Meditation-based therapies showed a significant effect on ADHD core symptoms but because of small number of studies, heterogeneity, and risk for bias, there is insufficient methodologically sound evidence to support its use among children/adolescents or adults.

Why this matters

• Meditation-based interventions have been increasingly investigated, over the past years, as a possible therapeutic option for ADHD.

Study design

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomised controlled trials including 609 patients (children/adolescents, n=270; adults, n=339) with ADHD.
• Primary outcome was combined scores of ADHD core symptoms on any validated ADHD scale.
• Funding: None disclosed.

Key results

• ADHD core symptoms were significantly reduced with meditation-based therapies among children/adolescents (Hedge’s g, −0.44; 95% CI, −0.69 to −0.19) and adults (Hedge’s g, −0.66; 95% CI, –1.21 to −0.11).
• Compared with hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, evidence of larger effects on inattentive symptoms was seen among:
  • Children/adolescents (Hedge’s g, −0.52; 95% CI, –0.81 to −0.23) and
  • Adults (Hedge’s g, −0.81; 95% CI, –1.55 to −0.08).
• Meditation-based therapies showed a significant effect on inhibition (Hedge’s g, −0.54; 95% CI, –0.84 to −0.24) and working memory (Hedge’s g, −0.42; 95% CI, –0.73 to −0.11).
• 57% and 43% of the studies in children/adolescents and 33% and 67% in adults were classified as unclear and high-risk for bias.

Limitations

• Risk for bias.