The effect of exercise interventions on mental health in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis
- Forfatter(e)
- Zhou, S. N., Hou, Y. Q., Shi, W. Y., Song, X. Q.
- År
- 2026
- Tidsskrift
- Frontiers in Psychology
- Volum
- 17
- Sider
- 18
- Kategori(er)
- ADHD
- Tiltakstype(r)
- Fysisk aktivitet
- Abstract
Background: Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are common comorbidities in individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, exacerbating functional impairments. Exercise interventions show promise as a non-pharmacological approach, but their specific efficacy on mental health in the ADHD population remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise interventions on mental health in children and adolescents with ADHD and to explore potential moderating factors.
Methods: This meta-analysis adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420251162082). We systematically searched five electronic databases, including PubMed and Web of Science, from inception until October 2025. Randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of exercise interventions on mental health (depression, anxiety, emotion regulation) in individuals with ADHD were included. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool (ROB 2) and the PEDro scale. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated as the effect size using random-effects models. Data analysis was performed using Stata 18.0.
Results: Eighteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that exercise interventions had a significant positive effect on improving depressive symptoms (SMD = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.13-0.71) and emotion regulation ability (SMD = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.06-0.92) in individuals with ADHD. Exercise interventions also significantly alleviated anxiety symptoms (SMD = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.006-0.84). Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested that mind-body exercises (e.g., yoga) may be associated with particularly larger improvements in depression (SMD = 0.46) and anxiety (SMD = 0.80), while moderate-intensity exercise appeared to show favorable efficacy for depression (SMD = 0.54). Meta-regression indicated a potential, though statistically non-significant, trend for the effect on depression to diminish with increasing age.
Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides evidence supporting exercise interventions, particularly mind-body and moderate-intensity exercise, as an effective adjunctive approach for improving mental health in individuals with ADHD. Exploratory findings suggest that mind-body and moderate-intensity exercises may offer specific benefits; however, further high-quality studies are warranted to confirm these specific parameters. The findings provide preliminary insights for developing individualized exercise prescriptions, emphasizing the need for caution in generalizing specific exercise types and intensities.