Post: New study finds best treatments for adults with ADHD

Stimulant drugs and another medication – atomoxetine – appear to be the best treatment for managing symptoms of ADHD, a study suggests. Monique Wüstenhagen/dpa Talking therapy and brain stimulation are not as good as drugs for treating adults with ADHD, according to the largest study of its kind.

Stimulant drugs and another medication – atomoxetine – appear to be the best treatment for managing symptoms of the condition, the study suggests.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) used to be a condition commonly associated with childhood, but health officials estimate that up to 4% of the adult population in the UK have ADHD.

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The new study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, pooled together all studies on treating ADHD in adults.

Experts from the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton examined 113 trials involving more than 14,800 people.

They wanted to assess how well symptoms were controlled 12 weeks after a person had started treatment based on both doctor and patient reports.

They found that stimulants are the only ADHD treatment in adults which reduce symptoms, according to both patient and doctor ratings, and are well tolerated.

Another type of drug – Atomoxetine – was also found to effectively reduce symptoms, according to both doctors and patients, but appeared to be less well tolerated compared to a placebo, or dummy drug.AdvertisementOnly doctors reported that talking therapies, "cognitive remediation," mindfulness, "psychoeducation," and transcranial direct current stimulation – or brain stimulation – were better than placebo.But the authors said that ADHD medications are not well tolerated by everyone.And they cautioned that their findings were based on averages, so for some people these treatments may be beneficial.Lead researcher Dr Edoardo Ostinelli, from the University of Oxford, said: "We focused on average effect sizes, average performance of interventions, and especially for pharmacological treatments.Advertisement"It could be of course, that specific individuals may prefer some treatment or non-pharmacological treatments, while some others may actually not benefit from them."And commentators said that the study did not examine the effects of drugs and other treatments when taken as a combination.They also said that the study did not examine long-term treatment.But the authors of the […]

New study finds best treatments for adults with ADHD