Guided Self-Help for Parents of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Condition: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
MeSH terms: Hyperkinesis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Cognitive-behavioral based guided self-help for parents of children with
      Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is investigated in a feasibility and
      effectiveness study. The treatment is offered under routine-care conditions of the
      health-care system in Germany. Practicability, treatment participation and effectiveness is
      documented and tested in a one-group pre-test/post-test design.
    

Detailed description: 
      Self-directed interventions may overcome many of the barriers associated with accessing
      face-to-face services, as there is lowered stigma and significantly reduced or eliminated
      cost, transport, and timing difficulties. Families can complete self-directed programs at
      home, in their own time and at their own pace. Furthermore self-administered programs are
      often very cost-effective and their use can ease the financial burden of mental health of the
      community. These parenting programs can be particularly effective by reaching the populace.
      Moreover in primary care settings where financial resources, time and expertise might be
      lacking to provide behavioral interventions, self-directed programs might be a promising tool
      for disseminating effective parenting interventions more widely.

      Bibliotherapy is one form of self-directed therapy. In bibliotherapy a selected book is
      thought to meet the specific need of the person to be treated and reading is used as the
      therapeutic technique. In opposition to pure self-help programs, bibliotherapy in terms of
      guided self-help provides patients (or parents) with written instructions as well as
      therapeutic contacts at regular intervals. During these contacts, problems and questions can
      be discussed to give further support. Self-help interventions have already proven to be
      effective for adults with anxiety or affective disorders as well as for depressive
      adolescents. However there has only been little research concerning the reduction of
      children's behaviour problems through parental self-help programs under minimal contact
      conditions.
    

Intervention name(s): CBT Based Self-help Workbook + Counseling Telephone
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Over a period of 12 months parents work through 8 self-help booklets and additionally receive 14 counseling telephone calls. The intervention has a cognitive-behavioral foundation and is based on the therapy manual "Therapy program for children with hyperactive and oppositional problem behavior THOP" (Döpfner, Schürmann, & Frölich, 2007) and the parent self-help book "Wackelpeter and Trotzkopf: Help for parents of children with hyperkinetic and oppositional behavior" (Döpfner, Schürmann, & Lehmkuhl, 2006). Primary purpose of counseling telephone calls is to clarify contents of the booklets and support parents in managing their homework assignments accompanied with each booklet.
Other intervention name(s): Guided self help; behavioral treatment
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Program Evaluation; ADHD