Skip to main content
11th WCCBT Congress Main banner
Final Program


Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
Recorded Session
Recorded Session
Ticketed Session
Ticketed Session
Symposium

Artificial Intelligence and Technology-based Interventions
Symposium

Symposium 15 - Expanding Access to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults with ADHD Through Scalable Digital Approaches

Thursday, June 25, 2026
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM PDT
Location: Yerba Buena Salon 10, B3 Level
CE: 1.5

Keywords: ADHD, Adults , Technology / Mobile Health
Level of Familiarity: All
Recommended Readings: Safren, S. A., Otto, M. W., Sprich, S., Winett, C. L., Wilens, T. E., & Biederman, J. (2005). Cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD in medication-treated adults with continued symptoms. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 43(7), 831–842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2004.07.001,   Li, Y., & Zhang, L. (2024). Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Combined with Pharmacotherapy Versus Pharmacotherapy Alone in Adult ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Attention Disorders, 28(3), 279–292. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547231214969,   Takamatsu, N., Nakashima, M., Matsuura, K., Umemoto, I., Ito, M., Kanazawa, J., Tomiyama, H., Kondo, M., Tachimori, H., Nakao, T., Horikoshi, M., & Kuga, H. (2024). A multicenter, single-group, open feasibility study of a new individual cognitive behavioral therapy program for adult Japanese patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Study protocol. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports, 3(4), e70036. https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.70036,   Eto, A., Endo, A., Yoshida, T., Seki, Y., Taguchi, K., Hongo, M., Takahashi, K., Shiko, Y., Hirano, Y., & Shimizu, E. (2025). Videoconference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Medication-Treated Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized, Assessor-Blinded, Controlled Trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 94(5), 343–357. https://doi.org/10.1159/000546539,   Antshel, K. M., McBride, H., & Knouse, L. E. (2025). Bridging the gap: Digital CBT for adults managing ADHD challenges. Journal of Attention Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547251384462

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to be effective not only in improving core symptoms but also in reducing comorbid depression and anxiety and enhancing quality of life (QOL) (Safren et al., 2005; Li & Zhang, 2024). However, in real-world clinical practice, many patients face challenges in accessing and sustaining appropriate treatment owing to a shortage of specially trained therapists and geographic and financial barriers (Antshel et al., 2025). To address this “treatment gap,” intervention approaches enabled by digital technology have advanced in recent years, highlighting the need for scalable and sustainable solutions that can deliver evidence-based care to a wider range of adults with ADHD.
This symposium presents the latest research findings and strategies for accelerating access and implementation by integrating technology with evidence-based CBT for adults with ADHD.
In the first presentation, we will introduce a predictive model for changes in ADHD symptoms using physiological and behavioral data derived from wearable devices, highlighting the potential of continuous monitoring to enable personalized and timely interventions. In the second presentation, we will report the results of a usability study of a newly developed CBT smartphone application in Japan, designed to address the unique treatment barriers faced by adults with ADHD, and we will examine implementation issues and solutions for real-world deployment. In the third presentation, we will present findings from a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a CBT-based mobile health application, providing robust evidence that digital interventions can reduce symptoms and improve QOL. In the fourth presentation, we will address the international expansion of CBT-based psychoeducation through digital media from a lived experience perspective, discussing design principles and strategies to scale support globally while promoting empowerment among individuals with ADHD. Finally, our designated discussant, Dr. Steven A. Safren, will provide an integrative discussion on how these digital innovations may extend existing clinical practice and bridge the gap toward more equitable and sustainable support for adults with ADHD.
Overall, this symposium underscores the potential of digital technologies to serve as a driving force for the broad dissemination of evidence-based psychotherapy in real-world settings. In the closing, we will discuss future directions toward achieving equitable and sustainable support for adults with ADHD, clinicians, and healthcare systems, with particular attention to leveraging continuous monitoring, developing scalable delivery models, and advancing global knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Learning Objectives:

  • Describe how integrating wearable-based continuous monitoring with CBT may inform timely, personalized support for adults with ADHD
  • Summarize usability and implementation considerations for CBT smartphone apps and propose strategies to improve sustained use
  • Appraise RCT evidence on tech-supported CBT for adults with ADHD, including effects on symptoms and QOL
  • Discuss approaches that integrate lived experience with evidence-based strategies to disseminate psychoeducation globally via digital media
  • Outline future directions to advance CBT for adults with ADHD via scalable digital approaches stressing equitable, sustainable implementation

Presentations:

  • 2:06 PM - 2:27 PM PDT
    (SYM 15) Predicting ADHD Symptom Change Using Wearable-derived Activity and Sleep Features: A Secondary Analysis of Randomized Trial Data

    Speaker: Aiko Eto, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Chiba University

    Co-Author: Eiji Shimizu, M.D., Ph.D. – Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University

    Co-Author: Toshiya Nakaguchi, Ph.D. – Chiba University

    Co-Author: Tokuhiro Eto, Ph.D. – Claude Bernard University of Lyon 1

    Co-Author: Yoshiyuki Hirano, Ph.D. – Chiba University

  • 2:27 PM - 2:48 PM PDT
    (SYM 15) Overcoming Treatment Barriers for Adult ADHD in Japan: Usability of a Newly Developed CBT Smartphone Application

    Speaker: Ikue Umemoto, M.A. (she/her/hers) – National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry in Japan

    Co-Author: Miho Takada, M.A (she/her/hers) – National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry in Japan

    Co-Author: Miyuki Makino, M.A. – National Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry

    Co-Author: Kazufumi Yoshida, MD, DrPH (he/him/his) – National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry in Japan

    Co-Author: Daiki Takegawa, Other – Emol inc.

    Co-Author: Saori Chikami, BA (she/her/hers) – emol inc,

    Co-Author: Hironori Kuga, M.P.H., M.D., Ph.D. (he/him/his) – National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Research,

  • 2:48 PM - 3:09 PM PDT
    (SYM 15) Randomized Controlled Trial of a Cbt-based App for Adults with Adhd-related Challenges

    Speaker: Laura Knouse, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Richmond

    Co-Author: Laura Knouse, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Richmond

    Co-Author: Kevin Antshel, ABPP, Ph.D. – Syracuse University

    Co-Author: Haley McBride, M.A. (she/her/hers) – Syracuse University

  • 3:09 PM - 3:30 PM PDT
    (SYM 15) From Lived Experience to Global Psychoeducation: ICT Strategies for Reaching, Supporting, and Empowering Adults with ADHD Through Digital Media

    Speaker: Jessica McCabe, Other (she/her/hers) – How to ADHD