Can a Busy Schedule Help ADHD Symptoms? A New Study Says Yes.

November 22, 2024ADHD is not a static condition with fixed symptoms, but rather a dynamic disorder with symptoms that wax and wane over the lifespan, sometimes disappearing for years at a time.

This was the finding of a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 1 that made another unexpected discovery: periods of higher environmental demands were associated with times of remission or reduced ADHD symptoms.Led by Margaret Sibley, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the research used data from the longitudinal Multimodal Treatment of ADHD (MTA) study, which followed 483 participants, diagnosed with ADHD at 7-10 years of age, for 16 years.2 Follow-up assessments, which were administered every two years, asked participants and parents about the severity and frequency of ADHD symptoms and impairments, as well as about environmental demands, including responsibilities in education, work, and finances.The researchers found that longitudinal patterns revealed four groups:Alternating periods of remission and recurrenceA significant reduction in symptoms was experienced, typically beginning in late adolescence or early adulthood, that remained stable afterwardHigh symptoms that met diagnostic thresholds with minimal or no improvement over timeSustained full remission of symptomsAmong the group that experienced fluctuating ADHD, the following trends were uncovered:ADHD symptoms improved to a point of remission at some point over the 16 years for most study participants, Sibley explains in an article titled “ADHD’s Vanishing Act” that appears in ADDitude’s forthcoming spring 2025 issue.