SynthesisBMC psychiatry2025
Evaluating the evidence: a systematic review of reviews of the effectiveness and safety of digital interventions for ADHD.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effectiveness of different digital interventions on symptoms for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Does Delivery Mode Matter? A Randomised Controlled Trial of the Sleeping Sound Intervention: Predicting Sleep Outcomes in Children With ADHD.Journal of attention disorders · 2026Trial
- Consensus Statement on Digital Health and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder by the European Network for ADHD (EUNETHYDIS): Modified Delphi Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Child and adolescent psychiatry: challenges, solutions, opportunities, and future directions.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2026Article
- MyADHD: A therapist-guided internet-delivered intervention for adult ADHD - Results from a single-armed open clinical trial in routine care.Internet interventions · 2026Article
- Digital Mental Health: A Narrative Review of FDA-Authorized Products for Psychiatric Treatment and Diagnostic Support.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Eye-Tracking-Based Digital Therapeutic for ADHD in Children: Development and Preliminary Evaluation of an Adaptive Learning Guide.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Leisure Screen Time, Internet Gaming Disorder, and Mental Health Among Chinese Adolescents: Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Applying artificial intelligence in neurodevelopmental disorders management and research.European journal of medical research · 2026Review
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Intelligent Cognitive Stimulation Program for Adults with ADHD: Study Protocol.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- The impact of electronic product use on children with tic disorders and ADHD, and management strategies: a review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) impacts academics, work and social relationships. Digital interventions, such as virtual reality, games, app and other, offer accessible therapeutic options, yet understanding their efficacy and potential adverse effects is crucial for safe use. The objective of this study is to identify and analyze the efficacy and adverse effects reported in systematic reviews of digital interventions for ADHD.
methodsWe conducted a systematic review of systematic reviews to assess the reported efficacy and safety of digital interventions for ADHD. We searched for relevant publications in Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library. Both study selection and data extraction were performed in duplicate to ensure accuracy and reduce bias. This review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines, PRISMA-harms checklist, and we used AMSTAR-2 to assess the quality and risk of bias of the included reviews.
resultsA total of 26 systematic reviews on digital interventions for ADHD were included. These reviews collectively involved 34,442 participants, with the majority focusing on children and adolescents. The digital interventions analyzed included video games, computerized cognitive training, virtual reality, apps, and others. The outcomes reported various positive effects, such as improvements in inattention and executive function, though evidence was generally low quality. Adverse effects were reported in 8 of the 26 included reviews (30,1%), and included physical discomfort, emotional reactions, and behavioral issues, such as video game addiction.
conclusionsThis systematic review of systematic reviews indicates that while digital interventions for ADHD show potential benefits, their effectiveness remains inconclusive due to low evidence quality. Adverse effects, particularly from video games, have been reported but are inconsistently documented. Future research should focus on rigorous safety assessments, standardized reporting, and long-term effectiveness.
trial registrationThis systematic review is registered in Prospero: CRD42024521084.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.