68.4 MINDFUL PARENTING AND CASE PRESENTATION

Abstract

Young children with ADHD present unique challenges to caregivers, which can often lead to increased stress. Interventions to support caregiver well-being are gaining more attention as an important component in the treatment process. Mindful parenting involves intentionally having nonjudgmental awareness of the parents’ experience as well as greater awareness and acceptance of the child’s unique nature, feelings, and needs. This intervention aims to reduce parents’ reactivity and increase their ability to respond with more presence and wisdom. In turn, this can decrease caregiver burnout and help parents be more effective in managing their child’s ADHD symptoms. This presentation is designed to provide clinicians with current knowledge of mindful parenting in the context of caregiver stress and young children with ADHD. Presenters will review current empirical evidence on mindful parenting interventions and their impact on caregiver stress. Evidence will be reviewed in the context of stress as a factor impacting treatment of young children with ADHD. Case examples will be used to enhance learning. Participants will learn the definition of mindful parenting and gain an understanding of how mindful parenting can potentially decrease caregiver stress, which can be a factor in overall treatment outcomes for young children with ADHD. Given the nature of ADHD symptoms (eg, hyperactivity, impulsivity, challenges with emotion regulation), caregivers’ stress can be increased. There is emerging empirical evidence supporting mindful parenting as an important intervention to improve caregiver well-being in the treatment of young children with ADHD. Enhancing clinicians’ understanding of the impact of mindful parenting practices when treating young children with ADHD can have important implications for treatment outcomes.