Effect of Mindfulness Therapy on Peer Relations of Adolescents Manifesting Symptoms of ADHD

Description

Page: 221-225

Somya, Tamsha, and Sandeep Singh (Department of Applied Psychology, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, Haryana)

The current research examines the effect of mindfulness therapy in improving peer relations of adolescents manifesting symptoms of ADHD. ADHD is the most well-known psychological disorder in the nation among the children of age group of three to seventeen. Adolescents’ attitudes, activities, and emotional well-being are affected by peer groups. ADHD problems in adolescents increase with age. Mindfulness-based approaches have emerged as an important innovation in treating ADHD in adolescents. The proposed research has been directed on a sample of regular school children of private schools (aged 13-16 years). Thirty-three students with ADHD were included in this study that was found to have difficulty focusing attention, controlling emotions, low self-esteem, impulsive, and aggressive behaviour, etc. Mindfulness intervention was designed for six months and adolescents with ADHD attended mindfulness program in both group and individual sessions in which they engaged in mindfulness practice for at least 45 minutes per day for five days in a week with each session. The adolescents were assessed under mindfulness therapeutic program after every three months. The findings show that mindfulness therapy is a potential treatment in decreasing the symptoms of ADHD. The outcome indicates that regular mindfulness exercises increase peer relations in adolescents. During the intervention program, The ADHD adolescents showed progressively solid relationships and were more effectively appropriate and adjustable in the peer group as compared with before intervention.