Effect of Mindfulness-Based Play Therapy on Reducing Anxiety in Children with ADHD: An ANCOVA Study

Abstract

This research examined the impact of Mindfulness-Based Play Therapy (MBPT) on alleviating anxiety in children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A quasi-experimental pretest and posttest control group design was utilised involving 40 children aged 7 to 11 years, who were randomly allocated to experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent 10 structured MBPT sessions over five weeks, whereas the control group received no intervention. The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) was used to measure anxiety levels before and after the intervention. We used Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to look at the data and control for differences between the pretests. The results demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in post-intervention anxiety scores within the experimental group relative to the control group (p < 0.05), accompanied by a moderate effect size. The results indicate that MBPT may serve as an effective therapeutic method to mitigate anxiety symptoms in children diagnosed with ADHD. The study suggests incorporating MBPT into school-based and clinical interventions to enhance emotional well-being in this demographic.