The Effect of Mindful Parenting-Based Telepsychology on Behavioral Symptoms of ADHD Children during Covid-19 Outbreak

Background: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders that cause major complications in children, and it is essential to identify the best treatment method especially during COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to discuss the effects of mindful parenting-based telepsychology on behavioral symptoms of ADHD children during COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on parents with ADHD children. All mothers underwent eight 45-min-sessions of mindful parenting-based telepsychology, administered once a week. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was evaluated before, immediately after, and 2 months after the intervention. Results: We did not find significant differences in the following subscales of CBCL: anxious/depressed, depressed, somatic complaints and thought problems, after and 2 months after the intervention between the two groups (P 0.05). While, after the intervention, social problems (11.65 ± 3.03 vs. 14.55 ± 1.93, P=0.001), attention problems (9.65 ± 2 vs. 11.25 ± 1.8, P=0.034), rule-breaking behavior (14.15 ± 2.15 vs17.35 ± 2.85, P=0.002), aggressive behavior (14.25 ± 2.19 vs. 19.75 ± 3.66, P 0.001), and total score of CBCL (90.55 ± 5.56 vs. 106.5 ± 8.81, P 0.001) were found to be significantly lower in the intervention group as compared to the control group; and they remained significantly lower in the intervention group, after a 2-month follow up (P 0.05). Conclusion: Mindful parenting-based telepsychology significantly improves symptoms in children with ADHD from the parents’ point of view. This type of training can also lead to an improvement in parent-child relationships, and so can be suggested as necessary for parents.