Both iCBT and iART are beneficial for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

A randomized controlled trial sought to compare internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) in adult outpatients dealing with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with an active control treatment known as internet-based applied relaxation training (iART), as well as with the standard treatment as usual (TAU).

A total of 104 subjects, with 67% of them utilizing ADHD medication, were assigned randomly to undergo 12 weeks of either iCBT (n = 36), iART (n = 37), or TAU (n = 31). The major endpoint was the alteration in scores on the adult ADHD self report scale (ASRS) at follow-ups conducted at 3 months (FU3) and 12 months (FU12) post-intervention.

The adult ASRS exhibited greater improvement in individuals who underwent iCBT (with Cohen's d value of 0.42 at post-intervention and 0.67 at FU3) and iART (with Cohen's d value of 0.57 at post-treatment and 0.66 at FU3), as compared to those in TAU.

These positive effects persisted over the 12-month period for both iCBT and iART. When comparing iCBT to iART, no substantial variation was witnessed. The percentage of treatment responders was 25% for both iCBT and iART, which surpassed the 3% of responders in TAU.

Both iART and iCBT could be favorable as an adjuvant to medication, expanding the reach of psychological intervention and sustaining symptom alleviation following one year.