Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who received medication and individual sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) showed greater improvement in symptoms through 12 months compared to patients who did not receive such therapy, according to a new study.
Doctors in the United States tested CBT for ADHD in 86 adults treated with medication but who still had clinically significant symptoms. Of the 86 patients randomised, 79 completed treatment and 70 completed the follow-up assessments. Patients were randomised to 12 individual sessions of either CBT or relaxation with educational support.
CBT included sessions that focused on psycho-education about ADHD and training in organising and planning; learning skills to reduce distractibility; cognitive restructuring (learning to think more adaptively in situations that cause distress); and relapse prevention. ADHD symptoms were rated by an assessor using an ADHD rating scale and Clinical Global Impression scale at the beginning of the trial, at the end of treatment, and at six- and 12-month follow-up.
The researchers found that after the treatment was completed, patients who received CBT had significantly better ADHD rating scale scores and Clinical Global Impression scale scores than those who were assigned to relaxation with educational support.
Also, there were a greater proportion of responders in the CBT condition compared with the relaxation condition, using criteria from both the Clinical Global Impression scale and the ADHD rating scale. Throughout treatment, self-reported symptoms were also significantly more improved for CBT. Responders and partial responders in the CBT condition maintained their gains over six and 12 months.
“This study suggests that cognitive behavioural therapy for ADHD in adults appears to be a useful and efficacious next step strategy for adults who show continued symptoms despite treatment with medication,” the researchers concluded. “Generally, the treatment was well tolerated, with very low drop-out rates, and had positive and sustained effects on ADHD symptoms. Clinical application of these strategies to patients in need is encouraged.”
JAMA 2010;304:875-880
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Several schools discredit this “disorder” by taking students who had been diagnosed with ADHD. First they test them to find out what is the actual level of understanding of the student. Then they educate starting at whatever level they did not understand and clearing up their confusions or educating them in basics they were never taught or understood, like phonics.
While they are doing this the parent is given the opportunity to take the student off the drugs with medical supervision. They usually do this since the drugs did not handle their study, attention problems or behavioral problems. (If this was s true “disorder” the drugs should handle the attention problem at least!) To handle behavior the student is taught manners. One such school is Hollywood Education and Literacy Project, Miami http://www.elearnaid.com/rivera.html