Non-Pharmological interventions for ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common affliction that affects approximately 3 to 5% of school age children in the United States (Friel, 2007). Although the majority of research into effective interventions for this disorder are primarily focused on pharmacological therapies (Karpouzis et al., 2009), some researchers have explored the efficacy of non-pharmacological treatments, such as types of psychotherapy and alternative interventions. It has been determined that the best clinical outcomes of treatments for ADHD are interventions that take a multidisciplinary approach, combining pharmacological therapy with behavioral or psychosocial therapies (Karpouzis et al., 2009). However, it is crucial that researcher further investigate the most effective means of treating ADHD outside of medication in order to provide clinicians and parents with more intervention options. The following discussion will review current research investigating non-pharmacological interventions for ADHD, and will evaluate these investigations according to their findings and limitations.
A current area of research into effective non-pharmacological treatments for ADHD has focused on the use of meditation-based interventions. Baijal & Gupta (2008), recognized how research had determined positive effects of meditation-based training, including lasting effects in regards to changes in brain and cognitive functions. ADHD is characterized by impairment of attention and executive control processing, and meditation-based training has demonstrated neuroplasticity in attentional networks (Baijal & Gupta 2008). Functional impairment experienced by individuals with ADHD despite improvement in symptoms due to pharmacological treatments is common, and necessitates a behavioral intervention that is effective and can become part of a comprehensive approach to treatment (Baijal & Gupta 2008). The review conducted by Baijal & Gupta (2008) concluded that future research investigating interventions for ADHD should include controlled, longitudinal studies measuring the effects of meditation-based training, as much research in this area showed limitations such as small sample sizes and lack of control groups.
Black et al. (2009) explored the efficacy of meditation as an intervention for ADHD by conducting a systematic review of several electronic databases in order to assess findings in regard to the effects of meditation with youth. Results of the review indicated that meditation was found to significantly improve attentional problems with youth (Black et al., 2009). These researchers also expressed the necessity...
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