(Press-News.org) A randomized controlled trial (RCT) published today in Psychological Medicine demonstrates a significant and clinically relevant reduction in ADHD symptoms in adults using the digital therapy "attexis". Researchers from GAIA in Hamburg, in collaboration with the Saarland University Medical Center, the University Medical Center Mainz, the University Hospital Bonn, the University of Lübeck, and Kiel University, investigated the efficacy of the digital intervention, which is already permanently listed in the DiGA (Digital Health Applications) directory. The results are of particular relevance since access to care is often limited for adults with ADHD in Germany and Europe.
The RCT enrolled 337 adults aged 18 and above with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD. After three months of using attexis in addition to treatment as usual (TAU), a statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement in the severity of ADHD symptoms was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group (see figure). Furthermore, the group of attexis users showed significant and clinically relevant improvements in work and social functioning, self-esteem, and quality of life, as well as a reduction of depressive symptoms. It is particularly noteworthy that the digital therapy shows similar effect sizes to face-to-face psychotherapy for ADHD and is well received by users.
Dr. Gitta Jacob, licensed psychotherapist and head of the research and development department at GAIA, states: "The publication of our RCT in Psychological Medicine is an important milestone for us in ADHD research. The results provide robust clinical evidence that digital cognitive behavioral therapy interventions can provide adults with ADHD with effective and well-accepted treatment. I am particularly pleased that we are thus making a contribution to closing the care gap for those affected."
attexis is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based techniques. The therapeutic program conveys psychoeducation and therapeutic strategies in a conversational format. These dialogues are supplemented by self-monitoring and reminder functions. As a self-guided intervention, the therapeutic program can easily be integrated into existing treatment plans.
ADHD in adulthood represents a significant burden for those affected. Various aspects of functioning can be impaired, ranging from occupational performance to interpersonal relationships. It is estimated that around 2 million adults in Germany suffer from ADHD. The number of first-time diagnoses in adults has tripled since 2015.¹ Nevertheless, the disorder frequently remains unrecognized or inadequately treated in adulthood. Registry and health insurance data show that only a fraction of diagnosed adults receive guideline-compliant care. Psychosocial interventions—especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—are recommended in guidelines, but are scarcely available in many places due to limited therapy spots, long waiting times, and a lack of specialization.
Based on the positive study results, attexis was added to the DiGA directory by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) in August 2025 as the first digital ADHD therapy for adults to be permanently listed. This means the therapeutic program can be prescribed by doctors and psychotherapists, and the costs are covered by all statutory health insurance providers. attexis is marketed in Germany by Medice.
About GAIA
GAIA is a global leader in the development of evidence-based, fully-automated and self-guided digital therapy systems that have benefited patients, physicians, and insurers for over two decades. Its product portfolio includes not only digital health applications (DiGA) but also numerous innovative therapeutics for mental health conditions, as well as other therapeutic areas such as immunology, rheumatology, MS, and back pain.
For over 25 years, GAIA has combined scientific, technological, and therapeutic expertise under one roof. Its goal is to support as many people as possible in restoring and maintaining their mental and physical health, thus improving their quality of life and well-being. The expert team at GAIA has confirmed the efficacy of its products in over 30 RCTs and meta-analyses. GAIA is the 48th member of the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa). For more information, visit https://www.gaia-group.com.
Press contact:
Ulrike Voss
GAIA AG
Hans-Henny-Jahnn-Weg 53
22085 Hamburg
E-mail: presse@gaia-group.com
Telephone: +49 40 3510520
1 Ivanova M, Holstiege J, Akmatov MK, Müller D, Kohring C. The Incidence of AD(H)D-Spectrum Disorders in Adults. Dtsch Ärztebl. 2025;122. doi:10.3238/arztebl.m2025.0167
END
Researchers may have discovered a new way to diagnose and treat major depression at the earliest stage of the condition, giving patients the best opportunity for recovery.
University of Queensland researchers, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota, analysed levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – known as the “energy currency” molecule – in the brain and blood cells of young people with depression.
Associate Professor Susannah Tye from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) said this was the first time patterns in these fatigue molecules had been discovered in both the ...
A woman’s suicide risk may be influenced by the suicidal intention of her female first degree relatives, with sex specific effects of a shared familial environment and possibly other social factors having a key role, finds a large population study published in the online journal BMJ Mental Health.
While genetic factors strongly influence a person’s risk of suicide, they don’t fully explain the observed sex differences in suicidal behaviours, whereby males die by suicide more often than females, but females attempt suicide around twice as often as males, say the researchers.
Worldwide, around 700,000 lives are lost to suicide every year, with notable ...
A species of gut bacteria called Roseburia inulinivorans is specifically associated with human muscle strength and improved muscular performance in mice, finds research published online in the journal Gut.
R inulinivorans changes certain metabolic processes in muscle, and converts muscle fibres to ‘fast-twitch (type II)---designed for short intensive movement, such as sprinting and weights—the findings show.
R inulinivorans holds promise as a nutraceutical probiotic for treating age-related muscle wasting disease, suggest the Dutch and Spanish researchers.
Dwindling ...
Wegovy, a GLP-1 agonist for weight loss, may carry the highest risk of ‘eye stroke’ (ischaemic optic neuropathy) and sudden sight loss of the semaglutide drugs, finds an analysis of unintended side effect reports published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
The risk is almost 5 times higher with Wegovy than it is with Ozempic, and 3 times greater in men than it is in women, the analysis indicates.
Ischaemic optic neuropathy, or ION for short, is caused by inadequate/interrupted ...
A long-standing debate about the evolutionary origin of the world’s most widely cultivated “magic mushroom” – Psilocybe cubensis – may now have been settled by scientists from southern Africa and the United States.
In a paper published in the journal Proceedings B of the Royal Society, they describe the discovery of a new species of magic mushroom – Psilocybe ochraceocentrata – from the grasslands of South Africa and Zimbabwe. So named because of the ochre-yellow colour at ...
A team from University of Toronto Engineering is the first to synthesize long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) outside the cell — a new approach to drug discovery that has already yielded some promising anti-inflammatory molecules.
The team was inspired by advances in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein replacement therapies. They realized that a similar approach could be used to deliver lncRNA to the body, unlocking a potential new source of drugs.
“Only about 25% ...
INDIANAPOLIS — Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that depleting a clotting protein made by the liver could slow down pancreatic cancer.
The research, recently published in Gastroenterology and led by Melissa L. Fishel, PhD, shows that reducing fibrinogen in mouse models shrinks primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors and reduces their ability to metastasize to the liver. Fibrinogen is cleaved to fibrin following injury ...
PHILADELPHIA (March 10, 2026) – As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly integrates into clinical settings—from predicting patient outcomes to deploying humanoid "robotic nurses"—an article published in the Hastings Center Report warns that the core of nursing, its moral agency, must remain a human-driven responsibility.
The article, What Does Moral Agency Mean for Nurses in the Era of Artificial Intelligence?, explores the growing tension between advanced algorithmic capabilities ...
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Social media users are more likely to watch TV programs that are endorsed by members of their political party, a recent study suggests. However, individuals’ racial identity and their perceptions of racial and political ingroup norms and the demographics of a program’s intended audience also play roles in their decisions.
Stewart Coles, a professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,
surveyed 1,259 Black and white Republicans and Democrats to see how their intentions to view a fictitious TV program were affected by their race and political party and those of the person endorsing it. Coles found that certain ...
More than 184 million people in rural sub-Saharan Africa rely on shared handpumps for clean water. However, more than 50,000 of the pumps are broken, leaving millions in jeopardy of losing their safe water supply.
New research from the University of Notre Dame studies how local nongovernmental organizations in Ethiopia, Malawi and the Central African Republic decide when to maintain and repair 3,584 community handpumps when information about pump functionality is incomplete or uncertain. The ongoing research has helped NGOs provide more consistent and safe access to water for more than a million people ...
