The Effect of Therapeutic Horseback Riding in Children with ADHD on Maternal Stress and Attachment Orientation

Parenting children with ADHD is known to lead to maternal stress that requires coping resources, one of which is a secure attachment orientation. This study examines the effect of an amelioration in ADHD symptoms, executive functions, and self-esteem in children benefiting from a therapeutic horseback riding program on maternal stress and attachment orientation. To test the hypotheses, 123 mothers of children with ADHD filled out pre-, post-, and 12-week follow-up questionnaires assessing their maternal stress and dispositional attachment orientation, which were analyzed using a series of latent growth models and a multi-path mediation model. The results indicated that improvement in children’s executive functions and ADHD symptoms reduced maternal stress and maternal attachment anxiety. By contrast, higher children’s self-esteem did not impact the mothers’ maternal stress or attachment anxiety. Ultimately, the findings demonstrate that the amelioration of children’s ADHD symptoms and executive functions can effectively lower maternal stress and their attachment anxiety.