David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Adult ADHD: The effects of group CBT
Beck Institute
Friday, June 5th, 2009
A recent study in the Journal of Attention Disorders discovered that brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) group sessions help to significantly decrease ADHD patients? psychological consequences of the disorder.
Adults diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to suffer from a range of social and emotional consequences including comorbid disorders. These comorbid disorders include:
Typical treatment for adults with ADHD simply uses pharmacological methods to suppress the main symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, yet controlled studies have shown that 20%-50% of participants are nonresponsive to treatment (due to lack of symptom control and inability to tolerate medication). For those considered respondents, only 50% or less of symptoms have found to be reduced by medication. The current study aimed to discover the effects group CBT psychotherapy would have, in addition to pharmacological treatments, in helping to treat the sequelae comorbid psychological symptoms of ADHD.
Forty males and 21 females diagnosed with ADHD participated in six consecutive CBT group therapy sessions in addition to taking medication for ADHD (two of the participants in this group decided to participate in the therapy before starting medications), and were compared to 21 males and 16 females that were treated with medication only. The CBT therapy sessions consisted of psychoeducation about ADHD, as well as skills training in order to teach better coping skills in participants? reactions to anger, low self-esteem and self-efficacy, inattention, impulse control, all-or-nothing thinking, disorganization, time management, and problem solving.
The researchers found that the addition of CBT to medication treatment, as opposed to only medication treatment, for adults with ADHD significantly increased patients understanding about ADHD in general. In addition, they found CBT and medication to significantly improve the self-esteem and self-efficacy of participants, than those participants solely receiving medication. It was concluded that CBT group therapy may be an acceptable and cost-effective addition to adults treated for ADHD.
Beck Institute
Friday, June 5th, 2009
A recent study in the Journal of Attention Disorders discovered that brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) group sessions help to significantly decrease ADHD patients? psychological consequences of the disorder.
Adults diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to suffer from a range of social and emotional consequences including comorbid disorders. These comorbid disorders include:
- anxiety,
- personality disorder,
- depression,
- academic underachievement,
- substance abuse,
- social interaction difficulties,
- relationship difficulties,
- occupational problems,
- low self-esteem, and
- poor self-identity.
Typical treatment for adults with ADHD simply uses pharmacological methods to suppress the main symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, yet controlled studies have shown that 20%-50% of participants are nonresponsive to treatment (due to lack of symptom control and inability to tolerate medication). For those considered respondents, only 50% or less of symptoms have found to be reduced by medication. The current study aimed to discover the effects group CBT psychotherapy would have, in addition to pharmacological treatments, in helping to treat the sequelae comorbid psychological symptoms of ADHD.
Forty males and 21 females diagnosed with ADHD participated in six consecutive CBT group therapy sessions in addition to taking medication for ADHD (two of the participants in this group decided to participate in the therapy before starting medications), and were compared to 21 males and 16 females that were treated with medication only. The CBT therapy sessions consisted of psychoeducation about ADHD, as well as skills training in order to teach better coping skills in participants? reactions to anger, low self-esteem and self-efficacy, inattention, impulse control, all-or-nothing thinking, disorganization, time management, and problem solving.
The researchers found that the addition of CBT to medication treatment, as opposed to only medication treatment, for adults with ADHD significantly increased patients understanding about ADHD in general. In addition, they found CBT and medication to significantly improve the self-esteem and self-efficacy of participants, than those participants solely receiving medication. It was concluded that CBT group therapy may be an acceptable and cost-effective addition to adults treated for ADHD.
