What was the study about?
Many adults with ADHD are looking for support beyond medication especially tools that help with real-life challenges like planning, motivation, and relationships.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help, but it's not always easy to access.
This study looked at a self-paced, fully online program called attexis that combines CBT with mindfulness strategies.
The researchers wanted to see if using attexis alongside typical treatment (like meds or therapy) would help more than usual treatment alone.
What did they do?
They ran a large study where 337 adults with diagnosed ADHD were randomly assigned to either:
- Use attexis + continue their usual care, or
- Just continue their usual care (no access to attexis).
They measured ADHD “symptoms, “daily functioning, mood, self-esteem, and overall quality of life over a 3- and 6-month period.
What did they find?
People who used attexis showed much bigger improvements in their ADHD symptoms and felt better in multiple areas of life. These changes stuck around over time. No one reported harm from using the program.
Why does this matter?
Attexis could be a helpful, low-barrier tool—especially for those who can’t easily access therapy or want more strategies in their daily toolkit.
Globally, about 3 out of every 100 adults live with ADHD, but in places like Germany, it's often overlooked. Many adults go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. For those who do know they have ADHD, life can still feel like juggling glass balls—career, bills, relationships—while someone keeps moving the goalposts. These challenges don't fade with age and often come hand-in-hand with things like depression or anxiety.
European guidelines recommend a combination of approaches—medications for symptom management, along with therapy to develop skills, routines, and self-awareness. In Germany, therapy is especially recommended if meds don’t help enough, cause side effects, or if the person simply prefers not to take them. Therapy is also helpful for people coming to terms with a new diagnosis later in life.
CBT and psychoeducation (learning about how your brain works and how to work with it) are some of the most effective tools for adults with ADHD. They help reduce both symptoms and the emotional load ADHD can bring. But in Germany, it's hard to find therapists trained in adult ADHD, and waitlists stretch for months. Many adults never make it past the initial consultation.
Digital mental health tools—apps and online programs—have already helped people with depression, anxiety, and more. A few small studies have tested them for ADHD and found promising results. But in Germany, no ADHD-specific digital tool is currently covered by health insurance, and they aren’t part of regular care yet.
That’s where attexis comes in. It’s an online CBT and mindfulness-based program that you can use independently. You don’t need a therapist to guide you. It’s designed to adjust to your attention, mood, and needs—like having a coach in your pocket who knows when to repeat things or throw in a lighthearted moment when you need a lift.
This study tested whether adding attexis to someone’s current care would lead to better outcomes than just continuing with care-as-usual. They looked at ADHD symptoms and other areas like mood, self-esteem, and day-to-day functioning. The researchers also checked whether these improvements stuck around over time.
Takeaway Summary
- ADHD symptoms can deeply impact daily life and are often underrecognized, especially in adults.
- Many people want more support than medication alone, but access to therapy is limited.
- Digital tools like attexis offer a flexible, empowering way to learn ADHD-friendly skills grounded in CBT and mindfulness.
- This study found that attexis helped reduce symptoms and improve well-being more than standard care alone.
- It worked across genders, whether or not someone was on medication or in therapy, and didn’t cause any harm.