A community-driven program that trains local health workers to support families of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has shown promising results, according to a pilot study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.
The initiative, designed for parents and caregivers, provided education on ADHD, guidance on navigating stigma, and strategies to overcome barriers to care. Researchers found that families participating in the program were more likely to seek treatment and report improved confidence in managing their child’s condition.
“Compared to White youth, Black, Hispanic, and Asian children with ADHD receive less treatment, including fewer visits with providers and lower medication use,” said lead author Dr. Andrea Spencer, Vice Chair for Research in the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “By using a community-based model, we are addressing inequities in care delivery and empowering families.”
ADHD affects 6–8% of children and can lead to long-term challenges, including academic struggles, family conflict, and increased risk of justice involvement. Effective treatments include FDA-approved medication, behavioral therapy, and school-based accommodations, but many families face obstacles such as financial strain, transportation difficulties, lack of childcare, and stigma.
To develop the intervention, Dr. Spencer and colleagues collaborated with a Community Advisory Board that included caregivers from racially and ethnically minoritized groups, educators, clinicians, and child mental health experts. The program consisted of six one-hour sessions led by community health workers, covering evidence-based treatment, coping with stigma, advocacy skills, and communication strategies with clinicians.
Eighteen caregivers of children aged 6–12 with newly diagnosed ADHD enrolled in the pilot. Of these, 15 completed the intervention, and most provided feedback through questionnaires or exit interviews. Results were encouraging:
88% of caregivers agreed the program was helpful.
94% felt more confident seeking ADHD treatment.
Willingness to consider treatment increased, with 69% open to medication, 75% to therapy, and 88% to school services.
Outpatient treatment use rose post-intervention, with medication use climbing from 38% to 50%, therapy from 31% to 69%, and school accommodations from 38% to 88%.
Caregivers particularly valued sessions addressing stigma, which many said helped them confront both personal and community-wide misconceptions about ADHD.
“This is the first study to use a community health worker-led approach for ADHD,” Dr. Spencer noted. “Our findings suggest it can reduce stigma and expand access to treatment. We are now planning a randomized clinical trial to test its effectiveness on a larger scale.”
The pilot study was conducted at Boston Medical Center and the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
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