ACT for ADHD – useful links

ACT for ADHD in adults

• Bodalski, E. A., Abu-Ramadan, T. M., Hough, C. E., Lefler, E. K., Meinzer, M. C., & Antshel, K. M. (2023). Low standards yet disappointed: ADHD symptoms and experiential avoidance in college students. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 28, 180–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.04.002
• Bradley, W. J., Bodalski, E. A., de Arellano, A., Looby, A., Taylor, S. G., Canu, W., Serrano, J. W., & Flory, K. (2024). The relation between ADHD symptoms and alcohol and cannabis use outcomes in a cross-sectional study of college students: The mediating role of experiential avoidance. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 31, Article 100727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2024.100727
• Fullen, T., Galab, N., Abbott, K. A., & Adamou, M. (2020). Acceptance and commitment therapy for adults with ADHD during COVID-19: An open trial. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 10(4), 205–215. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojpsych.2020.104017
• Kini-Seery, C., Leonard-Curtin, A., Fennessy, J., Rudden, H., McLaughlin, D., Dio, F. U., Cassidy, S., Kilbride, K., Wrigley, M., & Bramham, J. (2026). Adapting psychoeducation with acceptance and commitment therapy for higher education students with ADHD: Qualitative study of recommendations from students with ADHD. Research in Neurodiversity, 2, Article 100042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rin.2026.100042
• Seery, C., Leonard-Curtin, A., Naismith, L., King, N., Kilbride, K., Wrigley, M., Boyd, C., McHugh, L., & Bramham, J. (2023). The understanding and managing adult ADHD programme: A qualitative evaluation of online psychoeducation with acceptance and commitment therapy for adults with ADHD. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 29, 254–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.08.005
• Seery, C., Leonard-Curtin, A., Naismith, L., King, N., O’Donnell, F., Byrne, B., Boyd, C., Kilbride, K., Wrigley, M., McHugh, L., & Bramham, J. (2024). Feasibility of the Understanding and Managing Adult ADHD Programme: Open-access online group psychoeducation and acceptance and commitment therapy for adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. BJPsych Open, 10(5), Article e163. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.743

ACT for ADHD in children, adolescents and parents

• Aghaei Bajestan, S., Rasouli, A., Sørensen, L., & Doosalivand, H. (2026). The impact of ADHD symptoms on insomnia severity in adolescents: The mediating role of emotion dysregulation, self-compassion, and experiential avoidance. BMC Psychiatry, 26(1), Article 211. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-026-07834-3
• Aral, A., Gerdan, G., & Gürlük, Y. O. (2026). Parental stress and child irritability in ADHD: A two-wave longitudinal serial mediation model via experiential avoidance and negative parent–child relationship. Journal of Attention Disorders, 30(3), 342–353. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251407731
• Chong, Y. Y., Chien, W. T., Fung, K. P., Leung, S. P., & Lam, S. Y. (2025). Acceptance and commitment therapy–based parenting program in children with co-occurring asthma and ADHD: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Pediatrics, 179(8), 846–856. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1313
• Gholipour Kovich, S., Livarjani, S., & Hoseyninasab, D. (2019). Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and academic procrastination of adolescents with ADHD. Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 8(2), 106–118. https://sid.ir/paper/239384/en
• Holmberg Bergman, T., Lappalainen, P., Ghaderi, A., & Hirvikoski, T. (2026). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy group intervention (Navigator ACT) for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities: A randomized controlled trial. Autism Research, 19(7), Article e70282. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70282
• Hosseini, S. K., Johari Fard, R., & Talebzadeh Shoushtari, M. (2024). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotion regulation, behavioral symptoms, and academic performance of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Clinical Research in Paramedical Sciences, 13(1), Article e145092. https://doi.org/10.5812/jcrps-145092
• Kiani, M., Mojahedi, M., Salehiniya, H., & Sahranavard, S. (2025). The effect of acceptance and commitment-based group training on self-esteem and perceived stress in mothers of children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 43(2), Article 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-024-00577-8
• Murrell, A. R., Steinberg, D. S., Connally, M. L., Hulsey, T., & Hogan, E. (2015). Acting out to ACTing on: A preliminary investigation in youth with ADHD and co-morbid disorders. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(7), 2174–2181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0020-7
• Vanzin, L., Crippa, A., Mauri, V., Valli, A., Mauri, M., Molteni, M., & Nobile, M. (2020). Does ACT-group training improve cognitive domain in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? A single-arm, open-label study. Behaviour Change, 37(1), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1017/bec.2020.3
• Vanzin, L., Mauri, V., Valli, A., Pozzi, M., Presti, G., Oppo, A., Ristallo, A., Molteni, M., & Nobile, M. (2020). Clinical effects of an ACT-group training in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29(4), 1070–1080. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01546-x

Reviews and meta-analyses

• Breaux, R., Majusiak, C., Cash, A. R., Pham, S. N., & Le, M. (2026). Review of emotion regulation psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents with ADHD. Brain Sciences, 16(6), Article 560. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16060560
• Garcia, Y., Keller-Collins, A., Andrews, M., Kurumiya, Y., Imlay, K., Umphrey, B., & Foster, E. (2022). Systematic review of acceptance and commitment therapy in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, caregivers, and staff. Behavior Modification, 46(5), 1236–1274. https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455211027301
• Guo, Y., He, H., & Lan, J. (2025). The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on parental stress in parents of special children: A meta-analysis. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 19(1), Article 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-025-00944-y
• Munawar, K., Choudhry, F. R., Lee, S. H., Siau, C. S., Kadri, N. B. M., & Binti Sulong, R. M. (2021). Acceptance and commitment therapy for individuals having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A scoping review. Heliyon, 7(8), Article e07842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07842

Background reading

• A-Tjak, J. G. L., Davis, M. L., Morina, N., Powers, M. B., Smits, J. A. J., & Emmelkamp, P. M. G. (2015). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for clinically relevant mental and physical health problems. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84(1), 30–36. https://doi.org/10.1159/000365764
• Champ, R. E., Adamou, M., & Tolchard, B. (2021). The impact of psychological theory on the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults: A scoping review. PLOS ONE, 16(12), Article e0261247. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261247
• Doyle, N. (2020). Neurodiversity at work: A biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults. British Medical Bulletin, 135(1), 108–125. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldaa021
• Fang, S., & Ding, D. (2020). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for children. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 15, 225–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.01.007
• Gower, T., Styler, Z. R., & Litz, B. T. (2026). Randomized controlled evidence of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 128, Article 102786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2026.102786
• Holmberg Bergman, T., Renhorn, E., Berg, B., Lappalainen, P., Ghaderi, A., & Hirvikoski, T. (2023). Acceptance and commitment therapy group intervention for parents of children with disabilities (Navigator ACT): An open feasibility trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(5), 1834–1849. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05490-6
• Matthies, S., Philipsen, A., Lackner, H. K., Sadohara, C., & Svaldi, J. (2014). Regulation of sadness via acceptance or suppression in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychiatry Research, 220(1–2), 461–467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2014.07.017
• Newlove-Delgado, T., Marcheselli, F., Williams, T., Mandalia, D., Davis, J., McManus, S., Savic, M., Treloar, W., & Ford, T. (2022). Mental health of children and young people in England, 2022: Wave 3 follow up to the 2017 survey. NHS Digital. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england-2022-wave-3-follow-up-to-the-2017-survey
• Ostinelli, E. G., Schulze, M., Zangani, C., Farhat, L. C., Tomlinson, A., Del Giovane, C., Chamberlain, S. R., Philipsen, A., Young, S., Cowen, P. J., Bilbow, A., Cipriani, A., & Cortese, S. (2025). Comparative efficacy and acceptability of pharmacological, psychological, and neurostimulatory interventions for ADHD in adults: A systematic review and component network meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 12(1), 32–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00360-2
• Sayal, K., Prasad, V., Daley, D., Ford, T., & Coghill, D. (2018). ADHD in children and young people: Prevalence, care pathways, and service provision. The Lancet Psychiatry, 5(2), 175–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30167-0

Books

• Kemp, J., & Mitchelson, M. (2024). The neurodivergence skills workbook for autism and ADHD: Cultivate self-compassion, live authentically, and be your own advocate. New Harbinger Publications.
• Wassner, J. (2024). Acceptance and commitment therapy with children: Applications and strategies for anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, OCD and more. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Online resources

• ADHD Ireland. (n.d.). UMAAP. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from https://adhdireland.ie/umaap/
• Olivardia, R. (2017, November 2). ACT: Therapy that’s uniquely useful to an ADHD brain. ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/act-therapy-acceptance-commitment-adhd/