The long-term outcomes of interventions for the management of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Jack Parker,1 Gill Wales,2 Nevyne Chalhoub,1 Val Harpin2 1Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK; 2Paediatric Neurodisability, Ryegate Children’s Centre, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK Purpose: To systematically identify and review the currently available evidence on the long-term outcomes of recommended attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) interventions following randomized controlled trials with children and young people. Method: A systematic search was conducted to identify trials >1 year in length using the following databases: CINAHL (January 1982– July 2012), MEDLINE (Ovid and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts [CSA]), Psych info, Science Direct (Elsevier), and Cochrane Library. Hand searches of key journals in the subject, book chapters, and conference proceedings were also carried out. Relevant papers were critically appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results: Eight controlled trials were identified as being relevant, of duration ranging from 1 year to 8 years (at follow up). The total number of participants in the studies was 1,057, of whom 579 (54.7%) were from one cohort and included 26 different outcome measures. Results suggest there is moderate-to-high-level evidence that combined pharmacological and behavioral interventions, and pharmacological interventions alone can be effective in managing the core ADHD symptoms and academic performance at 14 months. However, the effect size may decrease beyond this period. Conclusion: This review has highlighted the paucity and limitations of the evidence investigating the long-term outcomes of recommended interventions for managing ADHD symptoms. There is little evidence to suggest that the effects observed over the relatively short term are maintained throughout longer periods of impairment. Furthermore, much of the existing evidence examining effectiveness be