Boosting Self-Esteem in Children with ADHD

Plain-language summary

Research suggests that while many interventions for ADHD focus on managing symptoms, some approaches may also help children with ADHD feel better about themselves. Behavioral interventions, in particular, show promise in improving various outcomes, but there isn't a strong, consistent body of evidence specifically linking these or other interventions directly to significant improvements in self-esteem and self-concept for children with ADHD.

Key findings

• Behavioral interventions have shown benefits in improving various aspects for children with ADHD, though their direct impact on self-esteem is not explicitly detailed as a primary outcome in this research.
• Spending time in nature may offer mental health benefits for children in general, which could indirectly support self-esteem, but specific research on children with ADHD and nature-based interventions for self-concept is limited.
• Long-term studies on ADHD treatments have explored different outcomes, but a clear, direct link to improved self-esteem across various interventions is not consistently highlighted.
• Specific exercises designed to improve executive functions might also impact overall well-being, but the direct effect on self-esteem in children with ADHD is still being explored.
• Emotional dysregulation is a common challenge for children with psychiatric disorders, including ADHD, and addressing these emotional difficulties could be a pathway to improving self-esteem, although specific interventions for self-esteem itself are not the focus of this review.

Studies cited (2)

1. Behavioral interventions in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials across multiple outcome domains — Daley D, van der Oord S, Ferrin M (2014, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, meta-analysis)

   DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2014.05.013

2. A systematic review and analysis of long-term outcomes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: effects of treatment and non-treatment — Shaw M, Hodgkins P, Caci H (2012, BMC medicine, systematic-review)

   DOI: 10.1186/1741-7015-10-99 PMCID: PMC3520745