Metacognition, psychopathology and daily functioning in adult ADHD

OBJECTIVE

Previous research indicated that adults with ADHD may have deficits in metacognition, yet the evidence base is scarce. This study aims to explore the existence and nature of metacognitive deficits in adults with ADHD, how psychopathology (such as inattention and depression) may affect metacognition and whether metacognition may impact daily functioning in adults with ADHD.

METHOD

Forty-six adult patients with ADHD and 46 controls completed questionnaires for metacognition, psychopathology and daily functioning (subjective assessment; self- and informant report). Participants performed two attention tests in a neuropsychological assessment. After test completion, participants were asked to evaluate their performance with the help of a visual aid and this self-evaluation of test performance was compared with their actual test performance (objective assessment).

RESULTS

Patients with ADHD reported large deficits in knowledge of cognition and medium deficits in regulation of cognition compared to controls. Self-evaluation of cognitive test performance revealed no significant deficits. Regression analyses revealed that psychopathology may explain a part of the variation in metacognition. Further regressions indicated that metacognition may account for a significant and meaningful proportion of variance in daily functioning, both self-rated and informant-rated.

CONCLUSIONS

Current findings of compromised metacognitive functioning of adults with ADHD suggest that clinicians may not want to rely on patients' self-reports in the clinical assessment. Inattention predicted impairments in metacognition, pointing toward the importance of attention for awareness and metacognition. Finally, we recommend that metacognition is addressed in the treatment trajectory of patients with ADHD, given that aspects of metacognition were directly linked to impairments in daily functioning as rated by participants and their relatives.

A Comparison of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Pharmacotherapy vs. Pharmacotherapy Alone in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-A Randomized Controlled Trial

In the treatment of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) the importance of psychological interventions in combination with pharmacotherapy is widely accepted in contemporary clinical routine. The natural course of the disorder seems to justify additional psychological interventions because even in patients who are highly compliant to pharmacotherapy full remission is not always achieved. The aim of the present study was to analyze the contribution of psychotherapy to the treatment of adult ADHD patients. In a randomized controlled study, the efficacy of a combined treatment of psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy is compared to pharmacological intervention alone. After initiation and stabilization of treatment with methylphenidate (MPH) in all subjects randomization to the two different treatment conditions was done. Afterwards both groups underwent treatment for about 10-12 weeks, the experimental group receiving sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) whereas the control group only received medication and standard clinical management (SCM). ADHD symptoms differed statistically during time but not between the two different treatment conditions. This result was the same for the single ADHD symptoms-inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional symptoms-and also for impairment. Individual standardized ADHD specific CBT program was not able to outperform SCM.