The understanding and managing adult ADHD programme: A qualitative evaluation of online psychoeducation with acceptance and commitment therapy for adults with ADHD
Open accessAbstract
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a new and emerging area that may be helpful for adults with ADHD in promoting psychological well-being. The Understanding and Managing Adult ADHD Programme (UMAAP) is an online intervention that combines psychoeducation with ACT. Forty-nine participants provided qualitative feedback on their experiences through open-ended questions in an online survey distributed after they completed UMAAP. Thematic analysis was used to develop four themes. ‘An epiphany of awareness’ and ‘accepting and affirming ADHD’ highlighted the intervention's outcomes and showed UMAAP appears to increase self-acceptance and understanding of ADHD. ‘Too much for an introductory programme’ suggested that UMAAP could be overwhelming for some participants, while ‘the nature of being an online intervention’ explored the costs and benefits of being conducted online. Overall, participants experienced psychoeducation with ACT as positively impacting their outlook of themselves and their relationship with their thoughts and behaviours. Findings also highlight elements that may need to be adapted to better suit adults with ADHD.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy has demonstrated preliminary effectiveness in improving self-compassion in adults with ADHD.
“Incorporating self‐compassion frameworks could replenish this psychological resource, which is commonly depleted in individuals with ADHD (Beaton et al. 2022b), such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which has demonstrated preliminary effectiveness in improving self‐compassion in adults with ADHD (Seery et al. 2023, 2024).”
From “I Felt Like a Burden”: An Exploration Into the Experience of Romantic Relationships for People With ADHD (2026) · cites this paper as Seery et al. 2023
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4 of the 64 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
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“The app was part of a larger project to create accessible psychological supports for adults with ADHD, in which a novel online, facilitated intervention was developed and evaluated for individuals who required more input than the app (Seery et al., 2023; Seery et al., 2024).”
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“Further specifying where self-help materials might be useful as an adjunct, as seen in Seery et al. (179), who focused on providing information specifically around access to healthcare for those awaiting diagnosis, may identify where these resources can be best deployed to complement existing treatments.”
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“…could replenish this psychological resource, which is commonly depleted in individuals with ADHD (Beaton et al. 2022b), such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which has demonstrated preliminary effectiveness in improving self ‐ compassion in adults with ADHD (Seery et al. 2023, 2024).”
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- Authors
- Seery, C., Leonard-Curtin, A., Naismith, L., King, N., Kilbride, K., Wrigley, M., Boyd, C., McHugh, L., & Bramham, J.
- Affiliations
- University College Dublin (IE)
- Health Service Executive (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Seery, Christina
- Venue
- Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-07
- Volume
- 29
- Pages
- 254-263
- ISSN
- 2212-1447 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4386170392
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2
- FWCI
- 4.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Irish Research Council (GOIP/2021/1223)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- adult ADHD, acceptance and commitment therapy, online psychoeducation, self-acceptance, participant experiences, online intervention, psychological well-being, intervention adaptation
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