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Research-Based Interventions on ADHD

Jacquelyn Hollingsworth University of Phoenix PSYCH/ 650 January 12, 2021 Dr. John Colyar

2 Research-Based Interventions on ADHD According to Wilens & Spencer (2010), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders that mentally affects individuals, but is mainly presented in children, teens, and some adults. This disorder was discovered in the early 1900s, but made known to many people in the 1960s, which led more researchers on a journey to determine the cause of ADHD (Wilens & Spencer, 2010). Although, there is some uncertainty about what causes this disorder, it has a variety of different symptoms such as being hyperactive, the inability to focus on a specific thing or sit still, and it coexists with mood and anxiety behaviors (Wilens & Spencer, 2010). According to Wilens & Spencer (2010), when determining if a patient has ADHD, their symptoms are reviewed, family history is obtained, and certain neurological tests are performed. The proper assessments must be taken in order to create a plan of care for each individual who is diagnosed (Wilens & Spencer, 2010). This paper will elaborate on research-based interventions to treat ADHD through 1) evaluating three peer reviewed research studies, 2) conceptualizing ADHD using behavioral perspectives, and 3) discussing the effective treatments for ADHD. Research Analysis: Three Peer-Reviewed Research Studies There are three peer-reviewed research studies related to ADHD that were chosen to be analyzed for this paper. Each article discusses the research-based interventions to treat ADHD. These articles are titled, “Increased Methylphenidate Usage for Attention Deficit Disorder in the 1990s,” “Pre-market Safety and Efficacy Studies for ADHD Medications in Children,” and “Continuities and Changes in the Friendships of Children with and Without ADHD: A Longitudinal and Observational Study.”

3 Peer-Reviewed Study I: Increased Methylphenidate Usage for Attention Deficit Disorder in the 1990s According to Safer et al. (1996), this type of study is a cross-sectional study that utilizes a specific drug called Methylphenidate as an assessment tool. This drug is used as a source of treatment for school aged children who have been diagnosed with ADHD (Safer et al., 1996). According to Safer et al. (1996), the participants were all males who were 13 years old and there were 8 controlled groups used in cross over trials with a sample size of 24.8. The individuals were examined using three different disciplines, which were 1) social behavior, 2) ADHD symptoms, and 3) academic performance, and the study lasted for about 6 weeks (Safer et al., 1996). In this research study, it analyzed the correlation of the results for immediate release and extended-release capsules (Safer et al., 1996). The type of intervention delivered was nontherapeutic and it was a drug study that was given to patients by a licensed physician (Safer et al., 1996). According to Safer et al. (1996), the overall results of the treatment showed that the type of medication dispersal did not make an impact in treatment. In the end, the overall outcome revealed that of the participants that were treated using the medication Methylphenidate, about one-half of the control group revealed a decline in ADHD symptoms (Safer et al., 1996). This study did not mention any repeated measures. Peer-Reviewed Study II: Pre-market Safety and Efficacy Studies for ADHD Medications in Children According to Bourgeois et al. (2014), this type of study is experimental, and it was performed on children who had ADHD. The purpose of this research study was to control the best course of action that would be effective in treating ADHD (Bourgeois et al., 2014). According to Bourgeois et al. (2014), this experiment consisted of giving the participants

4 medication in order to determine which treatment was appropriate and discover the precise dosage that was needed. There were 32 clinical trials with 20 different types of medication that were distributed to the participants (Bourgeois et al., 2014). Throughout the course of this study, the 20 kinds of ADHD medication were tested among children and the mean of children was 75 and they were selected at random (Bourgeois et al., 2014). According to Bourgeois et al. (2014), the trials lasted about 4 weeks before FDA approval where only 5 of the 20 medications were approved and another 10 medications approved after a 6-month period. The outcomes from this study were 11 of the 20 medications were approved for under 100 participants and an additional 14% were approved for a group under 300 children (Bourgeois et al., 2014). According to Bourgeois et al. (2014), the overall outcome of the ADHD drug was effective, and the clinical trials have not made it clear if the medications would be good for long-term use and safety. The type of intervention delivered was non-therapeutic and it was a drug study that was given to patients by a licensed physician (Bourgeois et al., 2014). There was not any mention of repeated measures. Peer-Reviewed Study III: Continuities and Changes in the Friendships of Children with and Without ADHD: A Longitudinal and Observational Study According to Normand et al. (2013), this type of study is longitudinal because it focuses on the correlation between the surroundings of children with ADHD and the children who do not have ADHD. The assessment tool used in this study was observation because researchers would observe and examine children in their natural and social surroundings, such as schools (Normand et al., 2013). According to Normand et al. (2013), this study analyzes to see if kids with ADHD can create friendships with kids without ADHD, and the kids who once had the disorder. This study randomly selected participants that consisted of 87 patients who were diagnosed with

5 ADHD, 46 patients who did not have ADHD, and they were all males who aged between 7 to 13 years old (Normand et al., 2013). There was no control group mentioned in this study. According to Normand et al. (2013), this research study lasted for 6 months and there were repeated measures during a follow-up of results. ADHD Conceptualized Perspective with the Cognitive-Behavioral Philosophy According to National Institutes of Health (2021), ADHD is known as a psychiatric disorder that has symptoms of hyperactivity, distraction, and having spontaneous actions. Individuals who have this disorder experience difficult obstacles in their everyday life, such as they have a hard time being attentive, staying in one place for a long period of time, and not knowing when to stop speaking (National Institutes of Health, 2021). According to CHADD (2021), the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is important to ADHD when it comes to treatment, one individual must acknowledge how to self-regulate themselves because the worse effects of ADHD are related to mood disorders and learning dysfunction. CBT mainly focuses on self and the re-teaching of your cognitive intellect and body to perform and think in specific ways (CHADD, 2021). According to National Institutes of Health (2021), psychologists and therapists like to utilize certain treatment methods that intensify skills such as training, organization, and social skills. By utilizing these skills, therapists help children to manage their tasks such as school assignments, work assignments, and social interactions so both adults and children living with ADHD can communicate effectively without being disorderly (National Institutes of Health, 2021). According to National Institutes of Health (2021), therapists also focus on certain skills such as concentration and attentiveness so that an individual with ADHD will cooperate better in organized environments such as work or school. Individuals suffering from this disorder are

6 often judged on their school and work fulfillment by their peers, instructors, employers, and even parents, which could lead to the development of negative thoughts and emotions about themselves (National Institutes of Health, 2021). According to CHADD (2021), the CBT philosophy states that as humans we have the ability to train our views about the environment around us based on thoughts and emotions. So, if a person is judged their whole life based solely on their performance and weakness, it is a normal reaction for a person with ADHD to experience sadness and begin to create negative feelings and emotions pertaining to the environment around them (CHADD, 2021). Effective Treatment for ADHD and Why It Is Effective According to Sprich et al. (2015), an effective treatment for ADHD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) because it helps to reduce the symptoms in patients who have been diagnosed with ADHD by modifying negative thoughts into a positive mindset. CBT also helps ADHD patients to have a healthy mindset by teaching patients to control their feelings and emotions in their everyday life (Sprich et al., 2015). According to Sprich et al. (2015), CBT focuses on the comparison between a patient’s emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and follows the pattern and changes of performance in these areas. CBT treatment includes 12 sessions of oneon-one therapy that lasts about 50 minutes a session (Sprich et al., 2015). The adult treatment has a slight difference than the treatment for a child, it consists of 12 sessions that are split into three main groups such as organization, distractibility, and cognitive restructuring (Sprich et al., 2015). There are also two optional groups which are procrastination and involvement of a significant other or partner and 1 session of relapse prevention (Sprich et al., 2015). According to Sprich et al. (2015), researchers modified this same treatment technique for adolescents based on clinical

7 observation. If sessions are missed, they are rescheduled and must be completed in order to maximize the probability of each patient who receives all 12 sessions over a period of 20 weeks. Conclusion According to Butcher et al. (2017), ADHD is a disorder that has become more apparent in the early 1960s to recent times. ADHD shows a variety of different symptoms such as the lack of attentiveness and self-control (Butcher et al., 2017). Researchers have proven that the best course of treatment for ADHD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) because it has a greater chance of re-training an individual’s emotions and thoughts to help them through everyday activities (Sprich et al., 2015). Overall, CBT will give the best results of turning negative thoughts and emotions to positive ones for patients who suffer from ADHD as long as they follow the treatment plan (Sprich et al., 2015).

8 References Bourgeois, F.T., Kim, J.M., and Mandl, K.D. (2014). Pre-market Safety and Efficacy Studies for ADHD Medications in Children. Plos One, 9(7), e102249. Doi: 10.371/journal.pone.0102249 Butcher, J. N., Hooley, J. M., Mineka, S., & Nock, M. K. (2017). Abnormal psychology (17th ed.). Pearson. CHADD. (2021). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. https://chadd.org/for-adults/cognitivebehavioral-therapy/ National Institutes of Health. (2021). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): The Basics. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivitydisorder-adhd-the-basics/index.shtml Normand, S.S., Schneider, B., Lee, M., Maisonnueve, M., Chupetlovska-Anasttasova, A., Kuehn, S., & Robaey, P. (2013). Continuities and Changes in the Friendships of Children with and Without ADHD: A Longitudinal and Observational Study. Safer, D. J., Zito, J. M., & Fine, E. M. (1996). Increased methylphenidate usage for attention deficit disorder in the 1990s. Pediatrics, 98(6 Pt 1), 1084–1088. Sprich, S. E., Burbridge, J., Lerner, J. A., & Safren, S. A. (2015). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for ADHD in Adolescents: Clinical Considerations and a Case Series. Cognitive and behavioral practice, 22(2), 116–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2015.01.001 Wilens, T. E., & Spencer, T. J. (2010). Understanding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from childhood to adulthood. Postgraduate medicine, 122(5), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.3810/pgm.2010.09.2206...