Research Forum on Psychological Treatment of Adults With ADHD

Background: A literature search found five empirical studies of psychological treatment for adults with ADHD, out of 1,419 articles on ADHD in adults. Practice guidelines to date all recommend multimodal intervention, given that a significant number of patients cannot tolerate, do not respond to, or fail to reach optimal outcomes with medication alone. Method: This article provides a literature review and the recommendations of a forum of experts in the psychological treatment of adults with ADHD. Results: Empirical studies of brief, structured, and short-term psychological interventions for adults with ADHD to date demonstrate moderate to large effect sizes. Methodological challenges include selection of control groups, broad-based measures of outcome, and the need for larger samples. Conclusion: Psychological treatment may play a critical role in the management of adults with ADHD who are motivated and developmentally ready to acquire new skills as symptoms remit. (J. of Att. Dis. 2008; 11(6) 642-651)