The Role of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Therapy on the Behavioral Problems of Students with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a serious behavioral disorder with considerable personal and social consequences, including significant emotional distress among elementary school students and their caregivers. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) and mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) on the behavioral problems of students with ADHD in Ahvaz, Iran in 2020.

This pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study included two experimental groups and a control group. The statistical population comprised all children aged 6-12 years visiting psychology and psychiatry clinics in Ahvaz, Iran who were diagnosed with ADHD by specialists. A sample of 45 children was conveniently selected and randomly allocated to two experimental groups and a control one. The first experimental group underwent twelve sessions (60-minutes sessions per week) of PCIT. Moreover, the MBT was performed on the second experimental group for twelve 60-minute sessions, and the control group did not receive any intervention. The research instrument included The Child Symptom Inventory (CSI-4). Analysis of covariance in SPSS version 24 was used to analyze the data.

The PCIT and MBT significantly mitigated the behavioral problems of the students with ADHD, including ADHD signs and symptoms, opposition and defiance, social anxiety, and separation anxiety (p <0.001). The PCIT was significantly superior to the MBT in the mitigation of ADHD signs and symptoms (p <0.001).

As the findings supported the effectiveness of PCIT and MBT on the behavioral problems of students with ADHD, workshops should be held on the treatment of behavioral problems in these students.