Complementary therapies for the management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: a scoping review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.7915.4702Keywords:
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Complementary Therapies; Child; Infant; Child Health; Health PersonnelAbstract
Objective: to map the scientific literature regarding complementary therapies used by health professionals for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Method: this scoping review was based on the recommendations proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Five data sources were searched. Inclusion criteria comprised articles published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese; children aged one to nine years diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, regardless of additional age ranges covered; and no restrictions on publication date, study design, or bibliographic type. Therapies were grouped into four categories: mind-body therapies, supplementation, herbal therapy, and dietary therapy. Results: a total of 1,444 publications were identified, with 133 peer-reviewed articles selected for analysis. Sixty-five complementary therapies were identified, with neurofeedback (n=38) being the most frequently cited mind-body therapy. Other interventions included a prevalence of polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation (n=14), Ginkgo biloba use (n=6) in phytotherapy, and oligo-antigenic diet (n=5) in dietary therapy. Conclusion: complementary therapies show potential for alleviating symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in childhood. However, some therapies still lack scientific validation, highlighting the need for targeted experimental studies to ensure safe and effective use.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
RLAE’s authorship concept is based on the substantial contribution by each of the individuals listed as authors, mainly in terms of conceiving and planning the research project, collecting or analyzing and interpreting data, writing and critical review. Indication of authors’ names under the article title is limited to six. If more, authors are listed on the online submission form under Acknowledgements. The possibility of including more than six authors will only be examined on multicenter studies, considering the explanations presented by the authors.Including names of authors whose contribution does not fit into the above criteria cannot be justified. Those names can be included in the Acknowledgements section.
Authors are fully responsible for the concepts disseminated in their manuscripts, which do not necessarily reflect the editors’ and editorial board’s opinion.
