Summary

ADHD affects roughly 2.5% of Ireland’s adult population, but there is limited reliable information on the condition for those living with it. Misinformation online is abundant, and waiting lists for clinical services are among the longest in Europe. To address this, a research team in UCD School of Psychology – along with collaborators from ADHD Ireland and the HSE National Clinical Programme for ADHD Adults – have developed and evaluated the Adult ADHD App.

It provides information and tools, backed up by reliable evidence, and was designed based on research into the needs of adults living with ADHD. The app was launched by the Minister for Mental Health and Older Persons, and has been widely promoted in the media. Since its launch, nearly 20,000 people have downloaded the app and have reported benefiting from learning more about ADHD and using the tools to live well and thrive.

Research description

About 150,000 adults in Ireland have ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), a neurodivergent condition linked to inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. In 2021, the Health Service Executive (HSE) began opening specific services for adult ADHD, but Ireland currently has some of the longest waitlists for ADHD support in Europe. On top of that, the internet is rife with misinformation about the condition, and so it is extremely important that adults with ADHD (as well as their friends and families) have access to a reliable resource that they can trust, based on up-to-date evidence.

Now, a research team in UCD School of Psychology, in collaboration with ADHD Ireland and the HSE National Clinical Programme of ADHD in Adults, have developed and evaluated an informational smartphone app, called the Adult ADHD App — an accessible tool to provide evidence-based support for ADHD.

Crucially, the team first sought to understand what adults with ADHD wanted to know, to ensure app content addressed their needs. In this study, they asked adults with ADHD to rate the importance of different topics, resulting in a comprehensive list of essential information to be included in the app. Information about self-care and living well with ADHD (such as support with sleep or tips for executive functioning differences) were most important to adults with ADHD. Based on the findings, the app’s content was then written by academics and clinicians and reviewed by adults with ADHD in an open-ended survey.

The Adult ADHD App was launched in November 2022 by the Minister for Mental Health and Older Persons, Mary Butler TD. The final stage of the research was to evaluate the app by analysing its uptake and interviewing its users, who think that the app is a useful one-stop shop and particularly beneficial to adults who are new to their ADHD. The research team will make changes to the app based on this feedback, to ensure it continues to benefit adults with ADHD.

[The app] marks an important milestone in bridging the information gap in a way that is accessible to the ADHD community through their smartphones.
— Minister for Older People and Mental Health, Mary Butler

Research impact

Educational impact

This research directly led to the development of the Adult ADHD App, available on the App Store and Google Play Market. It is free to download, in comparison to other ADHD-management apps, which can have annual subscription fees of up to $199. The team wrote the content for the app based on what adults with ADHD felt would be important to learn about. Critically, all of the information draws on research, whilst the majority of ADHD apps do not describe having a scientific basis for their content, and over half of TikToks about ADHD feature misinformation.

The Adult ADHD App gives adults with ADHD information about the condition, signposting to the HSE ADHD clinics in Ireland and the supports they provide, and offers tips about living and thriving with ADHD. Users of the app can also practice mindfulness by listening to its Mindful Breaks. These meditation practices, specifically adapted for ADHD brains, vary in length from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, helping users to deal with topics like focus, difficult thoughts and self-compassion.

The app was downloaded over 18,200 times within a year of its launch in November 2022, and trended #13 in the Irish charts for Educational Apps. Adults with ADHD described the app as a “very thorough resource”, and say that the app provides all the information they could need, instead of having to scour the internet. Adults who are new to their ADHD journeys find it particularly useful, telling the team that it has helped decrease their anxiety. Many of them use it as a supportive tool nearly every day.

Health impact

Healthcare workers in the community, like GPs or mental health teams, and disability support workers in universities, can recommend the app as a starting point for the people they meet who wonder if they have ADHD. The guidelines for ADHD Clinics highlight the importance of providing education about ADHD to newly diagnosed adults. The app can support clinicians to do so, as they can work through the app with the person, while the person with ADHD can reconnect with the information any time they need after their appointment.

I work with ADHDers. I'm always looking for things that I can refer them to, or offer them as supports … and so [the app] was really useful for me.
— Participant working in the area of ADHD

Social impact

The app was launched at an event in November 2022. It included presentations from each of the research team collaborators, an ADHD coach who shared the app with her 28.9k followers, and a speech from the Minister for Mental Health and Older Persons, Mary Butler TD.

Both the HSE and ADHD Ireland signpost to the app on their websites, and can recommend it as a helpful tool for adults beginning their ADHD journeys. The Adult ADHD App was featured in articles in the Irish Times, Ireland Live, Dublin Live, and the Irish Examiner, raising awareness of the condition and the value of this new support.

The research team presented the app at the launch of UCD’s policy on ‘Transforming Disability Inclusion’ in December 2022. IADT disability support services also promoted the app to attendees at their Neurodiversity Awareness Week event. The app was nominated for a Health and Safety Excellence Award. These events and media engagement helped adults find the app and, as a result, have increased their knowledge of their ADHD.