Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (Mbct) for Adults With ADHD: A Psychoeducational Intervention

Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated the effectiveness of an educational intervention to enhance adult ADHD patients’ understanding and acceptance of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) as an augmentative treatment. The goal was to encourage participants to pursue an MBCT referral from their provider. This initiative was guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Background: Adult ADHD is commonly treated with pharmacotherapy; however, comprehensive symptom management often benefits from a multimodal approach. MBCT offers significant potential advantages but remains underutilized, primarily due to limited patient awareness and acceptance. This project utilized TPB to identify cognitive and behavioral factors influencing MBCT adoption. Methods:The project utilized a pre- and post-intervention survey design. The practice owner at the implementation site invited her 25 adult ADHD patients to participate in the project; five responded, and four completed the process for a 16% response rate. Participants viewed a brief educational video explaining MBCT’s principles, benefits for ADHD management, and integration with existing treatments. The TPB framework shaped survey questions assessing changes in attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control regarding MBCT. Results: The intervention increased participants' willingness to discuss MBCT with healthcare providers, with mean willingness scores rising from 3.0 to 4.25. While MBCT knowledge improved, the change was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Participant feedback highlighted the video's effectiveness in clarifying MBCT's role in ADHD management, positively affecting attitudes and perceived control over treatment decisions, and aligning with TPB constructs. Conclusions: This QI project demonstrates the TPB's utility in designing educational interventions that effectively influence patient intentions and behaviors toward augmentative treatments like MBCT. Although changes in awareness did not reach statistical significance, the increased readiness to engage with MBCT underscores the success of targeted educational interventions in modifying patient attitudes and enhancing treatment engagement. Future initiatives should broaden the intervention's scope, diversify educational methods, and implement longitudinal studies to assess the sustained impact on patient outcomes further, thereby optimizing MBCT’s integration into adult ADHD management.