Researchers at the University of Southampton have found that talking therapy and brain stimulation are not as effective as drugs for treating adults with ADHD.

The study, the largest of its kind, suggests that stimulant drugs and atomoxetine are the best treatments for managing symptoms of the condition.

The research, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, pooled together all studies on treating ADHD in adults.

Experts from the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton examined 113 trials involving more than 14,800 people.

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They assessed how well symptoms were controlled 12 weeks after a person had started treatment based on both doctor and patient reports.

The findings showed that stimulants are the only ADHD treatment in adults that reduce symptoms, according to both patient and doctor ratings, and are well tolerated.

Atomoxetine was also found to effectively reduce symptoms, according to both doctors and patients, but appeared to be less well tolerated compared to a placebo.

Professor Samuele Cortese, from the University of Southampton, said: "There is significant variation in the way ADHD in adults is managed worldwide.

"Our study represents the most comprehensive evidence synthesis on the treatments for ADHD and should inform future guidelines."

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The authors of the review say their analysis is the "most comprehensive" available and should inform future treatment guidelines.

However, they cautioned that ADHD medications are not well tolerated by everyone and their findings were based on averages, so for some people these treatments may be beneficial.

They also noted that the study did not examine the effects of drugs and other treatments when taken as a combination, nor did it examine long-term treatment.

Andrea Bilbow, chief executive of the National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service, said that controversy surrounding ADHD medications does not come from patients or the medical community.

She said: "For me, the controversy around medication does not come from within the patient population or the medical, it’s external.

"[It is] often people who perhaps don’t understand the condition, and don’t understand the medication, and don’t understand the impact the medication can have on the lives of people with ADHD."