Does Poverty Moderate Psychosocial Treatment Efficacy for ADHD? A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which children in poverty show differential benefit versus non-impoverished peers when undergoing behavioral treatment for ADHD.

METHOD: Multiple readers conducted a systematic review using four research databases, one national treatment database, and multiple recent reviews and meta-analyses to identify appropriate studies.

RESULTS: Of 1192 initial search results, only five studies met inclusion criteria and were fully abstracted.

CONCLUSION: Results suggest mixed evidence that low-income children may benefit less, compared with peers from higher income families, from psychosocial treatment for ADHD. Findings point to the need for more consistent, more precise, and higher quality reporting of income information.