ADVERTISEMENT
DBT and CBT Adherence Important for Effective Adult ADHD Treatment
Adherence to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was found to maximize treatment efficiency for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to recent results from a randomized control trial published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.
“These results further support the acceptability of DBT for adult ADHD and suggest the need to address adherence to treatment to maximize clinical improvements,” noted lead author Carlos López-Pinar, Departments of Basic Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain, and co-authors.
Related: Stimulant Treatment for ADHD Safe to Continue During Pregnancy
Researchers compared a DBT-based treatment intervention with a nonspecific active comparison, and interventions were combined with either methylphenidate or placebo. A total of 433 patients with adult ADHD were randomly assigned treatments. Participants rated therapy effectiveness while adherence was evaluated based on session attendance and self-reports, with data analyses employing descriptive, between-groups, and linear mixed model approaches.
Participants generally rated psychotherapy as moderately effective and attended a high percentage of sessions with regular use of learned coping skills, particularly sports and mindfulness. Groups receiving placebo or nonspecific clinical management reported worse health conditions and medication effectiveness compared to those receiving psychotherapy and methylphenidate, with clinical outcomes improvement significantly linked to treatment acceptability. Subjective adherence to psychotherapy was significantly associated with enhancements in ADHD symptoms, clinical global efficacy, and treatment response.
“Results may be limited by the retrospective assessment of treatment acceptability and adherence using an ad hoc instrument,” López-Pinar and co-authors concluded.
