Bridging the Gap: Digital CBT for Adults Managing ADHD Challenges.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Digital Health

Background:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for adult ADHD but faces scalability challenges.
• Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer a potential solution for delivering CBT interventions.
• Adult ADHD treatment needs accessible and scalable options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a CBT-informed mobile health app for adults with ADHD.
• To assess the impact of the app on ADHD symptoms and functioning.
• To explore potential mediators of treatment effects.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 154 adults with ADHD (ages 18-55).
• Participants were randomized to an 8-week CBT-informed app intervention or a waitlist control.
• Symptom and functioning measures were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in inattentive symptoms, hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, and quality of life for the app group compared to the waitlist control.
• These improvements were mediated by changes in organizational skills, time management, planning, and cognitive factors.
• No significant improvements were found in functional impairment.
• Greater app exercise completion correlated with reduced inattentive symptoms.

Conclusions:

• The CBT-informed app demonstrated perceived improvements in ADHD symptoms and quality of life.
• Waitlist control design limits confidence, but findings suggest app's potential for ADHD management.
• Digital CBT interventions may enhance treatment accessibility for adults with ADHD.