From the Guidelines
Non-pharmacological treatments for ADHD include behavioral therapy, educational interventions, regular physical exercise, mindfulness meditation, neurofeedback training, adequate sleep hygiene, nutritional approaches, and environmental modifications. These approaches can be implemented alongside or instead of medication to manage ADHD symptoms.
Key Non-Pharmacological Treatments
- Behavioral therapy, particularly parent training in behavior management for children and cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents and adults, is a cornerstone treatment for ADHD, as it helps develop skills for organization, time management, and emotional regulation 1.
- Educational interventions, including classroom accommodations such as preferential seating, extended time for assignments, and breaking tasks into smaller steps, are crucial for managing ADHD symptoms in a school setting.
- Regular physical exercise has shown significant benefits for ADHD symptoms by increasing neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, similar to how ADHD medications work.
- Mindfulness meditation, as described in the context of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs, can improve attention and self-regulation skills, and has been recommended by clinical guidelines such as The Canadian Resource Alliance (CAD-DR) Canadian ADHD Practice Guidelines, and National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines in the United Kingdom 1.
- Neurofeedback training can also improve attention and self-regulation skills.
- Adequate sleep hygiene and nutritional approaches, such as reducing sugar and artificial additives while ensuring proper intake of omega-3 fatty acids, may help manage symptoms.
- Environmental modifications like creating structured routines, using visual schedules, and minimizing distractions in work and study spaces can significantly improve functioning.
- Social skills training can address the interpersonal difficulties often experienced with ADHD. These approaches work by targeting the executive functioning deficits central to ADHD and can be tailored to individual needs and implemented immediately with professional guidance.
From the Research
Non-Pharmacological Treatments for ADHD
The following non-pharmacological treatments have been studied for their effectiveness in managing ADHD symptoms:
- Mindfulness-based interventions: Studies have shown that mindfulness training is associated with improved attention systems and self-regulation in individuals with ADHD 2, 3.
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT): CBT has been found to be effective in reducing ADHD symptoms in adults, particularly when combined with pharmacological treatment 4, 5.
- Multicomponent (cognitive) behaviour therapy: This approach has been shown to be effective in improving broad outcomes, such as impairment, caregiver stress, and behavioural improvement 6.
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids: Supplementing with polyunsaturated fatty acids for at least 3 months has been found to have a consistent modest effect on ADHD symptoms 6.
- Multinutrient supplementation: Supplementing with four or more ingredients has been found to have modest efficacy on non-symptom outcomes 6.
- Cognitive remediation: This approach has been found to be effective in improving core symptoms of ADHD in adults 4.
- Group dialectical behavioural therapy: This approach has been found to be effective in improving core symptoms of ADHD in adults, although the evidence is weaker due to small numbers of participants and limitations in study design 4.
- Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy has been found to be effective in improving core symptoms of ADHD in adults, although the evidence is weaker due to small numbers of participants and limitations in study design 4.