Background: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of metacognitive technique training and academic self-determination training on stress caused by parental expectations in female students with attention deficit disorder.

Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest and control group. The statistical population included all female middle school students with attention deficit disorder in District 1 of Tehran during the 2022–2023 academic year. Using purposive sampling, 45 students were selected and randomly assigned to three groups: two experimental groups and one control group (15 students in each). The Parental Expectation Stress Questionnaire by Ang and Huan (2006) was used for data collection. The metacognitive training was based on the protocol by Radfar et al. (2019), and the academic self-determination training followed the Field and Hoffman (1984) model. Both interventions were conducted in 10 weekly group sessions of 60 minutes each. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.

Results: Findings indicated that both interventions significantly reduced stress caused by parental expectations, with metacognitive techniques being more effective than academic self-determination training.

Conclusion: Given the effectiveness of both interventions, especially the superiority of metacognitive training, it is recommended that educational and psychological programs for students with attention deficits utilize targeted and combined approaches based on students’ specific psychological and academic