Massage therapy improves mood and behavior of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Adolescence, Winter, 2003 by Sonya Khilnani, Tiffany Field, Maria Hernandez-Reif, Saul Schanberg

Table 1
Means (and Standard Deviations) for Massage Versus Control Group on
Pre-Post Session and Session and First-Last Day Measures

                                   Massage Group

                                      First Day
Variables                     Pre                 Post

Mood and Stress

Faces                   3.1[(0.8)sub.a]      3.5[(0.6).sub.b] (1)
Thermometer             6.3[(2.4).sub.a]     7.8[(2.1).sub.b] (3)
Cortisol                1.3[(0.6).sub.a]     1.3[(0.3).sub.a]

                                     Last Day

Variables                    Pre                 Post

Mood and Stress

Faces                   3.3[(0.8).sub.a]     3.7[(0.5).sub.b] (2)
Thermometer             6.9[(2.8).sub.a]     8.7[(1.6).sub.b] (2)
Cortisol                1.5[(0.3).sub.a]     1.4[(0.6).sub.a]

Behavior (T scores)        First Day            Last Day

Hyperactivity          62.9[(13.7).sub.a]   54.2[(10.4).sub.b] (4)
Conduct Problems       58.7[(16.4).sub.a]   54.1[(13.3).sub.a]
Emotional-Indulgent    63.9[(19.5).sub.a]   55.3[(14.4).sub.b] (1)
Anxious-Passive        48.9[(10.5).sub.a]   44.3[(7.0).sub.b] (3)
Asocial                47.8[(8.6).sub.a]    46.7[(6.9).sub.a]
Daydream/Attention     61.2[(10.2).sub.a]   52.7[(7.0).sub.b] (4)
Problems

                                    Control Group

                                      First Day

Variables                     Pre                  Post

Mood and Stress

Faces                   3.3[(0.6.sub.a]      3.4[(0.5).sub.a]
Thermometer             7.5[(1.8).sub.a]     7.8[(2.0).sub.a]
Cortisol                1.4[(0.7).sub.a]     1.3[(0.9).sub.a]

                                      Last Day

Variables                     Pre                  Post

Mood and Stress

Faces                   3.7[(0.5).sub.a]     3.7[(0.5).sub.a]
Thermometer             8.4[(1.9).sub.a]     8.6[(1.8).sub.a]
Cortisol                1.6[(1.1).sub.a]     1.5[(0.8).sub.a]

Behavior (T scores)    First Day            Last Day

Hyperactivity          63.0[(8.9).sub.a]    60.5[(10.0).sub.a]
Conduct Problems       57.4[(11.5).sub.a]   57.0[(12.1).sub.a]
Emotional-Indulgent    65.9[(9.1).sub.a]    61.5[(9.9).sub.b] (2)
Anxious-Passive        53.5[(10.9).sub.a]   56.0[(9.9).sub.a]
Asocial                54.5[(11.1).sub.a]   55.3[(12.6).sub.a]
Daydream/Attention     58.2[(58.2).sub.a]   56.4[(10.4).sub.a]
Problems

Note. Different letter subscripts indicate significant differences
within groups using post hoc comparison t tests. Superscripts
indicate level of significance for adjacent means: (1) p = .05,
(2) p = .01, (3) p = .005, (4) p = .001.

REFERENCES

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: Author.

Barkley, R. A. (1990). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Bussing, R., Zima, B. T., Belin, T. R., & Forness, S. R. (1998). Children who qualify for LD and SED programs: Do they differ in level of ADHD symptoms and comorbid psychiatric conditions? Behavioral Disorders, 23, 85-97.