Comparing the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Neurofeedback on Emotional Self-Regulation in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Children with Attention–Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) suffer from a wide range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional problems. Mindfulness–Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a method of teaching sustained attention and regulated thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Furthermore, Neurofeedback (NF) is a self–regulation technique in which the current parameters of Electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded from the subject’s head are presented to a subject through visual and auditory modality, while the subject is supposed to voluntary or involuntary alter these parameters to reach a more efficient mode of brain functioning. MBCT is self–regulated while NF is machine–aided. In recent years, non–pharmacological treatments have been developed to solve these problems. The current study aimed to compare the efficacy of MBCT and NF on the emotional self–regulation of children with ADHD. 

This was a quasi–experimental study with a pretest–posttest and a control group design. The study population included all 9– to 12–year–olds referring to counseling and psychology clinics in Tabriz City, Iran, in the year 2018. After observing the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the research and implementing the Child Symptom Inventory–4 (CSI–4) (Gadow & Sprafkin, 1994), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (Achenbach, 1991), Integrated visual and auditory (IVA) (Sandford & Terner, 1994), and Diagnosis by a child psychiatrist and psychologist, 45 ADHD children were selected as the study samples. They were chosen by convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into three groups, as follows: MBCT, NF, and controls. All study subjects completed the Emotional Regulation checklist (Shields & Cicchetti, 1998) before and after the treatment. The MBCT group members received treatment in 15 sessions, and the NF group members received 25 sessions of intervention; however, but the controls received no treatment. After 5 months, follow–up tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS–24 using repeated–measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post–hoc test. 

The obtained results indicated that MBCT and NF were effective in emotional self–regulation in children with ADHD (p<0.001). Additionally, MBCT had a greater effect on the improvement of emotional self–regulation in children with ADHD, compared to the NF intervention (p<0.001). The 5–month follow–up results also suggested that this effect was lasting.

Considering the effectiveness of MBCT on the emotional self–regulation of children with ADHD, using this method, along with other approaches, to reduce the symptoms and problems of this condition is important. According to MBCT data, children with ADHD learn to be mindful concerning different situations and control their emotions. They could repeatedly practice this skill throughout the day as they perform various tasks and activities to ultimately improve their emotional self–regulation.