AI-assisted drawing therapy for children with ADHD: A randomised controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Child Psychiatry
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Background:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) significantly impacts children's core symptoms and functional impairments.
• Drawing therapy is a recognized intervention, but its efficacy can be enhanced through technological integration.
• Evaluating novel therapeutic approaches like AI-assisted interventions is crucial for improving ADHD management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of AI-assisted drawing therapy versus traditional drawing therapy for children with ADHD.
• To assess the impact of AI-assisted drawing on core ADHD symptoms and functional impairments.
• To evaluate therapeutic engagement and outcomes in both intervention groups.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 41 children (ages 7-10) with ADHD.
• Interventions included AI-assisted drawing therapy (AI processes drawings, generates keywords, provides AI feedback) and traditional drawing therapy (therapist-guided verbal feedback).
• Symptom severity (SNAP-IV) and functional impairments (WFIRS-P) were assessed at baseline and post-intervention (24 weeks).

Main Results:

• Both AI-assisted and traditional drawing therapies significantly reduced ADHD symptoms.
• AI-assisted therapy demonstrated greater improvement in inattention (p=0.035) and specific functional domains (Family, total score).
• Traditional therapy showed broader symptom reduction, particularly in oppositional defiant behavior and overall SNAP-IV severity.

Conclusions:

• AI-assisted drawing therapy offers targeted benefits for inattention and certain functional impairments in ADHD.
• Conventional drawing therapy provided more generalized improvements in behavioral symptoms and overall ADHD severity.
• Findings suggest modest, domain-specific effects, necessitating larger trials to confirm efficacy and identify optimal patient subgroups.