Disparities in Adult ADHD Care Delivery Among U.S. Telepsychology Providers
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: At least a third of U.S. adults with ADHD do not access recommended treatments (medication or cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]), and those receiving treatment face barriers (e.g., inconsistent availability of medication). We investigated systemic inequities in CBT access for adults with ADHD versus psychiatric diagnoses with similar prevalence. METHOD: 12,898) in April 2025. RESULTS: Only 26.4% of PSYPACT providers explicitly offer any services for adult ADHD. They were nearly three times more likely to treat adult depression (69.2%) and anxiety (74.0%). CBT for adult ADHD was offered by just 21.3% of providers. CONCLUSION: U.S. psychologists are chief CBT providers for adult mental disorders; however, they systemically underserve adults with ADHD. Contributors to this inequity must be identified to advance adult ADHD care, as untreated ADHD is a costly public health burden.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Neuroethics
Human Enhancement
Biomedical Innovations
Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Attention Disorders
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 571–576
- Publication date
- 22 January 2026
- Language
- EN