Clinical trial NCT02316145: Internet-based Coaching for Young Adults With Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Official title: Internet-based Support and Coaching for Young Adults With Neuropsychiatric Disorders - A Pilot Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Tourette's Disorder
Keywords: ADHD
Autism spectrum condition
Tourette's disorder
Internet-based
chat
coach
Lead sponsor: Vardalinstitutet The Swedish Institute for Health Sciences
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2014-12-12
Enrollment: 12
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Purpose: To develop a model for internet-based support and coaching to young adults with neuropsychiatric disorders (NPD). To improve the individual's psychosocial functioning and his/her understanding of how he/she is functioning.

NPD comprise problems with social interaction, attention, impulse control and hyperactivity. The most common NPD diagnoses are ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), autism spectrum condition (ASC) and Tourette's disorder (TD). In this study the investigators use Internet-based treatment for young adults with NPD.

Method: Support/coaching by using communication over the Internet (chat and e-mail) with individuals with NPD. Twice every week during 8 weeks, young adults with NPD are offered support and coaching over the Internet by psychologist/educational therapist with great experience from NPD. The individuals are assessed before and after treatment pertaining to quality of life, sense of coherence, self-esteem, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and parents' evaluation of the young adult's situation.

Detailed description: Aims: To develop an internet-based support and coaching model for young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to validate the model. Method: A user centred design was applied to develop a model for internet-based support and coaching, where individuals received eight-week support via internet (chat). The model was validated by ten individuals, 15 to 26 years of age, with ASD and/or ADHD. Self-report questionnaires (Sense of Coherence (SOC), the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA), Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD)) were distributed before and after intervention. A structured interview regarding the quality of the model, the Patient perspective of Care and Rehabilitation process (POCR), was used after the intervention. Results: The validation showed significant improvement of SOC, self-esteem and subjective Quality of Life at follow-up and the majority perceived high fulfilment/importance on the POCR. Conclusions: The model can be an important complement to other interventions for young people with ASD and/or ADHD.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* The individuals had to fulfill a diagnosis of ADHD, Tourette's disorder and/or an ASD (autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD NOS), according to the DSM-IV (APA, 1994).
* The inclusion age was between 15 and 26 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

* mental retardation,
* current psychosis,
* current major depression,
* current alcohol and/or substance abuse/dependence,
* severe dyslexia and/or severe psychosocial problems (e.g. criminality)

Primary outcomes:
measure: quality of life (QoL)
timeFrame: assessed at baseline; immediatelly after intervention and at 6-month follow-up
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Clinic
name: Elisabet Wentz, MD, PhD
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References: