Episodic Future Thinking Improves Everyday Prospective Memory Performance in Adults With a Previous Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by Community Providers.

This study examined the impact of episodic future thinking (EFT)—mentally imagining executing planned actions—on everyday prospective memory performance in adults diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by community providers. Using a diary task over six days, 63 adults with ADHD and 64 controls were assigned to either an EFT encoding condition or a standard encoding condition to assess intention recall and execution. Results confirmed that individuals with ADHD executed fewer intentions than controls, and that EFT increased intention execution across groups; however, this EFT effect was no longer statistically significant after controlling for verbal ability. No significant differences emerged in intention recall or group-by-encoding interactions, and self-reported procrastination negatively correlated with intention execution. The findings suggest preliminary support for EFT as a strategy to enhance prospective memory in daily life for adults with ADHD, though its effectiveness may depend on verbal skills, warranting further research with rigorous diagnostic procedures and objective measures.