Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in College Students - Study 1

Northwell Health41 enrolled

Overview

College students with ADHD have significant difficulty effectively managing their time, organizing, planning, and completing their academic work. As a result, they typically have lower grade-point averages, more course failures and withdrawals, are more likely to be placed on academic probation and are less likely to graduate from college than students without ADHD. The purpose of this project is to refine and test a psychological intervention on campus to help students with ADHD develop these self-management skills so that they can be more successful in college and avoid these negative outcomes.

Participants will be assessed pre- and post-intervention during interviews with the clinician-investigators and on several self-report questionnaires designed to assess their self-management of time, organization, and planning. Feedback of the results will be discussed with them, including any recommendations for further treatment.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

ADHD

Interventions

The intervention is 12 weeks long, made up of one 2- hour session each week. These sessions are designed to help the participants develop strategies to improve their executive functioning skills including self- care, time management and organizational skills. These skills will also be applied to specific academic tasks such as note-taking during reading and lectures, organizing and conducting research, and writing papers.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 30 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Student at The City College of New York * Diagnosis of ADHD, Inattentive or Combined Subtype * In good physical health Exclusion Criteria: * Actively abusing drugs or alcohol within the past 6 months * Actively suicidal * Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder * Diagnosis of bipolar disorder * Diagnosis of a psychotic disorder * Neurological disorder (such as traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, Parkinson's) * History of childhood abuse or trauma or psychiatric condition that prevents clear * confirmation of the presence of ADHD in childhood * Any other acute psychiatric condition (e.g. acute panic disorder, severe depression) with treatment needs that take precedence over ADHD.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change from Baseline Adult Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS) at six months

The AISRS is a structured diagnostic Interview, administered by one of the study investigators to assess for Adult ADHD. Scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 27, with higher score being worse.

Time frame: Change from Baseline AISRS at six months

Change from Baseline Behavior Rating Scale of Executive Function - Adult Version (BRIEF-A) at six months

The Meta-Cognitive Index of the BRIEF-A will be used to measure change in executive functions, including time-management, organization, and planning. Scores are reported as percentiles from 0 to 99 with a higher score being worse.

Time frame: Change from Baseline BRIEF-A at 6 months

Change from Baseline Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) at six months

The LASSI is a self-rating scale that measures student awareness and use of learning and study strategies on 10 scales related to skill, will, and self-regulation. Scores are reported as percentiles from 0 to 99 with a higher score being better.

Time frame: Change from Baseline LASSI at 6 months