ADHD is a developmental brain condition with symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. People with ADHD struggle with self-control and may also experience anxiety, depression, academic challenges, and low self-confidence. These symptoms can be alleviated through holistic approaches such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. These practices help patients focus on the present moment with purpose and without judgment. However, these meditation practices, which involve sitting in specific postures, can be challenging for patients with high ADHD tendencies.

“Even though mindfulness programs have been created for patients with ADHD, there are challenges with mindfulness meditation. To address this, we have researched different postures that can be used by both high and low ADHD tendencies patients to make meditation easier without the need for special tools,” explained Dr. Fukuichi.

In this study, the participants were divided into four groups: combined, hyperactive/impulsive, inattentive, and without ADHD tendencies. They were then asked to perform body-scan meditations in upright, slumped, leaning-back sitting, and supine postures and answer a questionnaire. To assess their responses to various postures during meditation, researchers developed the Mindfulness Encouraging Reactions Scale (MERS) and the Mindfulness Discouraging Reactions Scale (MDRS).

The researchers discovered that individuals with a tendency for hyperactivity and impulsivity found body-scan meditation to be more challenging when performed in a slumped posture, but easier when done in supine or upright postures. These findings suggest that individuals with hyperactivity and impulsivity tendencies may benefit from adopting an upright or supine posture when practising body-scan meditation in order to facilitate sustained focus and attention.