Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41811543›Full record

SynthesisClinical child and family psychology review2026

The Boredom-ADHD Nexus: A Narrative and Meta-Analytic Review of the Evidence.

Peter Muris, Henry Otgaar, Franc Donkers

Abstract readReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical child and family psychology review, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Peter MurisDepartment of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. peter.muris@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Henry OtgaarDepartment of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Franc DonkersDepartment of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This paper examines the intersection of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and boredom. We begin with a short overview of ADHD, describing its core symptoms, cognitive features, and biological underpinnings, followed by discussion of boredom as a psychological construct, with an emphasis on individual differences in boredom propensity. Next, we review existing empirical studies and present new meta-analytic findings concerning the link between ADHD and boredom. Across 18 mostly correlational studies (total N = 22,365), an overall effect of r = 0.40 (95% CI: 0.35-0.46) was observed, indicating a statistically significant positive association between boredom and ADHD. Building on these findings, we propose an integrated theoretical framework explaining why individuals with ADHD may be particularly susceptible to boredom and how this susceptibility may affect motivation, emotion regulation, and goal-directed behavior. Finally, we discuss clinical implications and describe key directions for future research. The current work highlights boredom as a central, rather than peripheral, experience in ADHD, with important implications for theory building, assessment practices, and intervention.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityBoredomHumansAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)BoredomMeta-analysisNarrative review

Identifiers

PMID41811543
PMCPMC13562150

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.