Treating ADHD

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There are several options available for the treatment of ADHD, including psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, e-health interventions, physical activity, as well as complementary and alternative therapies (e.g., dietary supplements). The evidence base surrounding each of these treatments is discussed below. There is a general consensus that the treatment of co-occurring ADHD and AOD use should use an integrated multimodal approach, with components of individual and/or group psychotherapy, psychoeducation, as well as peer and family support, to enhance the effect of treatment [9, 884, 893–895]. In general, evidence suggests that treatments focusing on either ADHD or AOD use in isolation are not effective at treating both disorders [896]. However, there is some recent evidence to suggest that reducing AOD use, or maintaining abstinence following AOD treatment, may improve ADHD symptoms [897, 898]. Evidence from the broader ADHD literature suggests that an approach combining psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy may result in better outcomes for ADHD symptoms than either psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy alone [781, 886, 892, 899–901], however, this approach has yet to be rigorously evaluated among people with co-occurring ADHD and AOD use.  

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