James D Kean
Abstract
Objective: Symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention can lead to significant academic issues for children, with few treatment options readily accessible for concerned families. This review investigates the benefits of psychosocial interventions programs in school-aged children exhibiting sub-clinical symptoms of ADHD. Method: Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched up to July 2017 for trials meeting inclusion criteria. Results: Three studies met inclusion criteria for this review. The research reported improvements in self-control and impulsiveness (p<0.01) as well as reduced hyperactivity (p<0.01), conduct issues (p<0.05) and increased attention (p<0.01) in non-clinical child and adolescent samples. Effect sizes were mixed between programs. Discussion: This area of research highlights the significance of the child’s proximal environment and its impact on learning in a social context. The results reported here contribute to the applicability of psychosocial programs in improving behavioural symptoms of sub-clinical ADHD. However, consistent replication research is required to confirm their validity. Conclusion: Psychosocial interventions are a valid and reliable intervention for improving the cognitive and behavioural outcomes in school-aged children. This is the first review to investigate the effects of psychosocial intervention programs framed within the context of sub-clinical ADHD. This review highlights the therapeutic benefits of these programs for children exhibiting symptoms of ADHD. Despite the reported significance of each study, the varied program designs made direct comparison difficult. The lack of reproducibility in this area may indicate the complex nature of the population being studied.