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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychopathology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349440

The experience of effort in ADHD: A scoping review

Provisionally accepted
Danika Wagner Danika Wagner 1*Samantha G. Mason Samantha G. Mason 1,2John D. Eastwood John D. Eastwood 1
  • 1 York University, Toronto, Canada
  • 2 Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Mental effort plays a critical role in regulating cognition. However, the experience of mental effort may differ for individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a disorder for which sustained mental effort 'avoidance' or 'dislike' is a criterion in the DSM. We conducted a scoping review to characterize the literature on the experiences of effort in ADHD. Methods: This systematic scoping review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews and Joanna Briggs Methodology. PsycINFO (OVID), PsycINFO (ProQuest) and PubMed were searched for studies published in English before February 14, 2023. Studies must have included an ADHD population or a measure of ADHD symptomatology, in addition to a self-report measure of the experience of effort or the use of an effort preference paradigm. Two researchers reviewed all abstracts, and one researcher reviewed full-text articles. Results: Only twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Several gaps and inconsistencies in the research were identified in terms of method, definitions of effort, measurements of ADHD, and sample characteristics. Moreover, the pattern of results on the experience of effort was mixed. Conclusions: Despite its diagnostic and conceptual significance, the experience of mental effort in ADHD is not well studied. Critical gaps were identified in the existing literature. A three-facet conceptualization of effort is proposed-specifically, task-elicited effort, volitionally exerted effort, and the affect associated with engaging in effort to guide future explorations of the experience of effort in ADHD.

    Keywords: Effort1, ADHD2, conscious experience3, mental effort4, effort preferences5, self-report6. (Min.5-Max. 8)

    Received: 04 Dec 2023; Accepted: 29 Apr 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wagner, Mason and Eastwood. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Danika Wagner, York University, Toronto, Canada

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