Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, typically though not exclusively, considered a disorder of childhood. It is characterised by the core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Deficits in emotional regulation, executive function and motivation are also characteristics of ADHD. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a common behavioural intervention in several child and adolescent psychopathologies as reported by Ramsay (2010), Solanto et al. (2010) Ramsay (2012) and Lopez et al. 2018). It is recommended as a non-pharmacological intervention alongside parent training, in school-aged children with a moderate severity of ADHD symptoms (NICE 2018b). Research Design: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effects of CBT as an intervention for ADHD in school-aged children. The research objective is to assess the effects of CBT in reducing the core symptoms of ADHD. A search strategy was developed and our databases (CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo and Scopus) were searched yielding 1100 results. The search was limited to randomised controlled trials which evaluated the efficacy of CBT compared with treatment as usual, no treatment, and waitlist, in school-aged children. Studies selected were limited to papers with a full text published in English within the last 10 years. Inclusion criteria included participants who were diagnosed by a medical professional, and participants under the age of 18 in full-time, mainstream education. Those with co-morbid autism or tic disorder were excluded, as were those with an intellectual disability. The standard procedure for systematic reviews as suggested by Cochrane was followed for the data collection and analysis. Six randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. The age range of participants was from 8-18 years. The medication status of participants varied across the included studies. Findings: A narrative synthesis of the results includes the assessment of methodological quality and risk of bias. The studies all included different modalities of CBT intervention and a variety of measurement tools. There was insufficient inclusion of younger children to be able to draw any conclusions in this age group. The findings support the use of CBT as a non-pharmacological intervention to reduce the severity of ADHD symptoms in adolescents. However
