Psychological Treatment for Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Condition: ADHD
MeSH terms: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this uncontrolled pilot study is to develop and make an initial evaluation of
      a new treatment manual for treatment of ADHD in adults. The objectives in the treatment is to
      build relational skills, skills in organizing and structuring everyday life, handle difficult
      emotions and impulses etc. The treatment will be in a group format and it is hypothesized
      that the psychological intervention will result in reduced ADHD symptoms and to decreased
      experience of stress and depressive symptoms. The uncontrolled design does not allow for any
      causal inferences from the results, this pilot study is primarily to be seen as a preparation
      before a subsequent RCT.
    

Detailed description: 
      Approximately one-third of children with ADHD continue to be fully symptomatic into adulthood
      and many of the remainders often retain some residual problems that require treatment. Thus
      ADHD is a prevalent and chronic disabling disorder. Drugs provide first line treatment for
      adults with ADHD but are not enough for everybody, while we still lack proper evidence for
      promising psychological treatment. In addition to core symptoms of ADHD including regulatory
      difficulties of attention, activity level and impulses, difficulties with emotional
      regulation are common.

      Follow-up studies of adults with ADHD have shown that only a few patients were offered
      sufficient treatment and support after the neuropsychiatric assessment and testing. The
      majority of adults diagnosed with ADHD are offered pharmacological treatment (stimulant
      medication) as the sole treatment. However, stimulant medication is not effective for up to
      20-50 percent of adults as they may not experience symptom reduction or they are unable to
      tolerate the medication.

      Consequently, the possible benefits of identifying and treating individuals with ADHD are
      extensive. Treatment of ADHD is preferably multimodal, i.e. consisting of more than one
      intervention.

      There has been limited research to date concerning psychosocial treatments for adult ADHD.
      Studies of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) show
      that structured short-term therapies are promising in reducing ADHD related symptoms and
      increasing life quality. Focus in the CBT treatment is to build skills, increasing and
      compensating for deficits in the executive functioning due to impairments of the frontal
      lobe. DBT combines change-oriented skills from CBT with acceptance-oriented skills and core
      mindfulness skills. DBT skills have been tried out and validated as a promising intervention
      package for adults with ADHD through the research of Steven Safren and Bernd Hesslinger.

      The objective of the planned study is to evaluate a new manual for group treatment, with a
      combination of treatment methods from Safrens and Hesslingers evidence-based treatment
      manuals. The aim of the pilot project is to create a clinically effective combination of the
      different methods of treatment, with a high degree of understanding, acceptance, use and
      perceived usefulness of the patients undergoing treatment. Both qualitative and quantitative
      data about patients' perceptions and use of the different methods will be collected during
      and after treatment to increase knowledge of how treatments can be developed and combined in
      order to better match the needs of patients.
    

Intervention name(s): Group treatment for adults with ADHD
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): 14 weeks of group treatment for adults with ADHD
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Dialectical Behavioral Therapy; Group Treatment; ADHD