The results revealed that findings are becoming increasingly nuanced with variations in levels of evidence related to ages of the children and characteristics of the specific treatment .
In addition , we focused our critique on generalization of treatment effects across setting s and time and on sample diversity ( with regard to ethnicity and levels of parent education ) in relation to the population .
Children of parents with higher levels of education than average appear to be overrepresented in the literature .
The purpose of this research was to up date the series of articles on evidence -based treatment for children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder that have appeared in this journal ( Evans , Owens & Bunford , 2014 ; Pelham & Fabiano , 2008 ; Pelham , Wheeler , & Chronis , 1998 ) .
Behavioral Outcome Effects of Serious Gaming as an Adjunct to Treatment for Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Background The need for accessible and motivating treatment approaches within mental health has led to the development of an Internet-based serious game intervention ( called “ Plan-It Comm and er ” ) as an adjunct to treatment as usual for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) . Objective The aim was to determine the effects of Plan-It Comm and er on daily life skills of children with ADHD in a multisite r and omized controlled crossover open-label trial . Methods Participants ( N=170 ) in this 20-week trial had a diagnosis of ADHD and ranged in age from 8 to 12 years ( male : 80.6 % , 137/170 ; female : 19.4 % , 33/170 ) . They were r and omized to a serious game intervention group ( group 1 ; n=88 ) or a treatment-as-usual crossover group ( group 2 ; n=82 ) . Participants r and omized to group 1 received a serious game intervention in addition to treatment as usual for the first 10 weeks and then received treatment as usual for the next 10 weeks . Participants r and omized to group 2 received treatment as usual for the first 10 weeks and crossed over to the serious game intervention in addition to treatment as usual for the subsequent 10 weeks . Primary ( parent report ) and secondary ( parent , teacher , and child self-report ) outcome measures were administered at baseline , 10 weeks , and 10-week follow-up . Results After 10 weeks , participants in group 1 compared to group 2 achieved significantly greater improvements on the primary outcome of time management skills ( parent-reported ; P=.004 ) and on secondary outcomes of the social skill of responsibility ( parent-reported ; P=.04 ) , and working memory ( parent-reported ; P=.02 ) . Parents and teachers reported that total social skills improved over time within groups , whereas effects on total social skills and teacher-reported planning/organizing skills were nonsignificant between groups . Within group 1 , positive effects were maintained or further improved in the last 10 weeks of the study . Participants in group 2 , who played the serious game during the second period of the study ( weeks 10 to 20 ) , improved on comparable domains of daily life functioning over time . Conclusions Plan-It Comm and er offers an effective therapeutic approach as an adjunct intervention to traditional therapeutic ADHD approaches that improve functional outcomes in daily life . Trial Registration International St and ard R and omized Controlled Trial Number ( IS RCT N ) : 62056259 ; http://www.controlled-trials.com/IS RCT N62056259 ( Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6eNsiTDJV )
The results revealed that findings are becoming increasingly nuanced with variations in levels of evidence related to ages of the children and characteristics of the specific treatment .
In addition , we focused our critique on generalization of treatment effects across setting s and time and on sample diversity ( with regard to ethnicity and levels of parent education ) in relation to the population .
Children of parents with higher levels of education than average appear to be overrepresented in the literature .
The purpose of this research was to up date the series of articles on evidence -based treatment for children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder that have appeared in this journal ( Evans , Owens & Bunford , 2014 ; Pelham & Fabiano , 2008 ; Pelham , Wheeler , & Chronis , 1998 ) .