For many families, navigating childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involves balancing medication, school expectations, and family routines.
While stimulant medications remain a standard treatment, new research suggests that adding structured psychological support may provide additional benefits for children and their families.
A new study examined whether cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), parent training, or a combination of the two could enhance outcomes for children with ADHD who were already receiving medication.
The researchers found that children who took part in CBT, parent training, or both alongside medication showed greater improvements in attention, self-control, and everyday functioning than those who relied on medication alone.
Families in these groups also reported smoother daily life, with more positive social behaviours and fewer challenges at home.
ADHD affects an estimated 3% to 5% of children worldwide and often continues into adolescence and adulthood.
It is typically associated with differences in attention, activity levels, and impulsivity, which can influence learning, relationships, and family life.
While medication helps many children manage core aspects of ADHD, additional strategies are often needed to address the broader challenges and support children’s development across settings.
The trial was conducted at Istanbul Medeniyet University’s Göztepe Prof. Dr. Süleyman Yalçın City Hospital between February and October 2023.
Forty-two children aged 7 to 11, all of whom had been taking ADHD medication for at least two months, were randomly assigned with their mothers to one of four groups: medication plus CBT, medication plus parent training, medication plus both, or medication alone.
The interventions were designed to be relatively brief, with six weekly CBT sessions for children and three weekly group sessions of parent training for mothers.
The CBT sessions focused on helping children practice “stop and think” steps to manage impulsivity, make considered choices, and reflect on how their actions affect others.
Exercises included puzzles, role-play activities, and learning to recognize emotions. Parent training provided information about ADHD and introduced supportive approaches for managing behaviour, setting boundaries, and strengthening parent–child interactions.
All three intervention groups reported notable improvements compared to the medication-only group.
In addition to better focus and reduced impulsivity, children whose parents took part in training showed gains in prosocial behaviours such as cooperation and helping others.
Families in these groups also reported that ADHD had less of an impact on daily routines and relationships.
By contrast, the control group—those receiving only medication—showed improvements in attention but a rise in overall functional difficulties, suggesting that medication alone may not address the full range of challenges.
These findings are important because they highlight the value of combining medical and psychosocial strategies.
Interventions that provide children with practical skills and equip parents with supportive tools appear to improve not only school and family life but also social development. For families, this can mean fewer conflicts, smoother communication, and a more balanced approach to daily living.
The researchers suggest that approaches like group-based parent training may also be a cost-effective way to extend support to more families.
Such programs could reduce the need for higher medication doses and promote a more sustainable model of care that combines medical treatment with skills-focused strategies.
The study does have limitations, including a relatively small sample size and a short follow-up period, which means the long-term effects are not yet clear.
The parent training program was also newly developed by the research team and has not been validated in broader contexts. Larger and longer-term studies will be needed to confirm the findings and fine-tune these approaches.
Even so, the research adds to growing evidence that ADHD support is most effective when it goes beyond medication.
For clinicians, educators, and families, the takeaway is that practical, skills-based interventions—whether for children, parents, or both—can complement medication and help children with ADHD thrive in daily life.
Citation
Ahmet, B. H., Bıkmazer, A., & Gormez, V. (2025). CBT, parent training, and combined approaches for children with ADHD: A randomized study. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.70011
