The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults With ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

To systematically review the literature on published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for adult ADHD and to establish the effectiveness of CBT in reducing ADHD symptoms. A systematic review of nine RCTs and two subsequent meta-analyses of eight of the studies were conducted. Just nine studies were identified, of generally good quality but with some limitations. Four trials (total = 160) compared CBT with waiting list controls, and three trials (total = 191) compared CBT with appropriate active control groups. Meta-analyses showed that CBT was superior to waiting list with a moderate to large effect size (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.21, 1.31], = .006) and superior to active control groups with a small to moderate effect size (SMD = 0.43, 95% CI [0.14, 0.71], = .004). These results give support to the efficacy of CBT in reducing symptoms of ADHD post-intervention.