Researchers ran a 12-week randomized trial of a group therapy for adults with ADHD. The 88 adults were clinically referred and met DSM-IV criteria for ADHD, mostly the inattentive or combined type. They were ages 18 to 65. One group received meta-cognitive therapy, which teaches time management, organization, and planning skills (45 people). The other received supportive group therapy (43 people). In the end, 65 people finished the program.
Symptoms were scored on an inattention scale by a rater who did not know which group each person was in. The therapy group improved more than the supportive group, with a drop of 5.0 points versus 2.3. The gap between them came to 2.7 points (95% CI 0.9 to 4.6, p<0.005). More people also counted as responders in the therapy group, about 42% (19 people) versus 12% (5 people). After adjusting for how severe symptoms were at the start, the therapy group was about five times as likely to respond (odds ratio 5.41). The two groups did not differ on depression, anxiety, or self-esteem.
The study did not check whether gains lasted after treatment ended. Most participants were well educated with above-average IQ, so the results may not carry to everyone. Adults weighing therapy or medication for ADHD should talk with a clinician about their own situation.
Source: Solanto M, Marks D, Wasserstein J, et al.. Efficacy of Meta-Cognitive Therapy for Adult ADHD. American Journal of Psychiatry (2010). doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09081123
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