Impact of a Family Sports Intervention for Children With ADHD

Objective This study examines the effectiveness of a family sports programme as a type of family‐based intervention designed to treat ADHD symptoms and to promote the well‐being of family members of school‐aged children with ADHD in Hong Kong. Background Recent growing evidence suggests a role for sports in the treatment of ADHD, as it produces similar effects to ADHD medication. Method A total of 121 parents of children with ADHD were recruited; 58 were assigned to the intervention group, and 63 were assigned to the control group. Surveys were administered to assess the intervention's immediate effects and its sustainability after 2 months. Results After the children's age and use of ADHD medication were controlled for, the findings indicate that the intervention group showed significant improvements compared to the control group in three outcome measures, with medium effect sizes, immediately after the family sports programme: child's ADHD symptom severity, parenting stress, and parent–child relationship quality. The significant improvements in the child's ADHD symptoms and parenting stress were sustained at the 2‐month follow‐up, with a small‐to‐medium effect size. Conclusion Family sports have the potential to serve as a moderate‐intensity, family‐based intervention strategy for supporting children with ADHD and their parents.