A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses of Psychosocial Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

The present report synthesizes outcomes across meta-analyses of psychosocial (i.e., non-pharmacological) treatments for ADHD. A total of 12 meta-analyses were identified that met search criteria. The meta-analyses were notable in that there was surprisingly little overlap in studies included across them (range of overlap was 2–46 %). Further, there was considerable diversity across the meta-analyses in terms of the inclusion/exclusion criteria, types of psychosocial treatments reviewed, methodological characteristics, and magnitude of reported effect sizes, making it difficult to aggregate findings across meta-analyses or to investigate moderators of outcome. Effect sizes varied across the outcomes assessed, with meta-analyses reporting positive and significant effect sizes for measures of some areas of child impairment (e.g., social impairment) and small and more variable effect sizes for distal and/or untargeted outcomes (e.g., academic achievement). Results are reviewed in light of the larger literature on psychosocial interventions for ADHD, and specific recommendations for future meta-analyses of psychosocial treatments for ADHD are offered.