Acceptability of CAM Interventions for ADHD among College Students: Implications for Tai Chi

• In Event: 2184 - Section on Medical Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 01. New Health Technologies and Alternative Care Approaches

Abstract

Objective: It is important to develop effective non-pharmacological therapies for ADHD. Tai Chi, a form of moving meditation, may serve as such an intervention. To guide future work, we gauged the likelihood that undergraduates would participate in a trial of Tai Chi as an intervention for ADHD. We also evaluated their attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Methods: Survey responses were collected from 47 undergraduates with ADHD and 49 controls. Survey items measured the likelihood of participating in trials of Tai Chi and other non-pharmacological therapies, symptom severity, attitudes toward CAM, and general health.
Results: Undergraduates with ADHD showed greater acceptance of CAM therapies than students without ADHD. Thirty-Two percent of students with ADHD expressed a strong willingness to participate in a Tai Chi trial, with the greatest interest among women with ADHD.
Conclusion: These results support the feasibility of performing a trial of Tai Chi as therapy for undergraduates with ADHD, and suggest this population is receptive toward CAM in general.

Author

• Sandra H. Sulzer, Utah State University