Abstract

DOARDI, Davide. Metacognition: Does it apply to the treatment ofthe attention deficit disorder?. Rev. Cient. Mult. Adas [online]. 2015, vol.6, n.4, pp. 151-158. ISSN 2309-3153.

Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without hyperactivity, is the most common psychological-psychiatric disorder of the childhood, with a prevalence of 3% to 5% in the USA and 5% in the rest of the world. No agreement yet has been reached about the most effective psychosocial treatment of this disorder. The present article reviews the scientific literature on metacognitive interventions both in educational and clinical settings; with the purpose of ascertain whether there exists a full-fledged theoretical model or a tendency towards the application of metacognitive strategies in the treatment of the ADD/H. A marked difference was found between the abundance of studies focusing on metacognition in educational settings and, on the other hand, those centered on the application of metacognition to clinical conditions. There exists a widely recognized model of metacognition for educational purposes and a different one for clinical settings. The latter has been amply validated in the treatment of psychopathologies such as phobias, generalized anxieties disorders, addictions and obsessive compulsive disorders. However, more empirical studies are needed to decide whether this model applies also to the comprehension ofthe workings and treatment ofthe ADD/H.

Keywords : Attention Deficit Disorder; ADD/H; metacognition; mindfulness.