Psychotherapy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Psychotherapy, including details on psychiatry, psychoanalysis, methods, outcomes.

Structured group psychotherapy in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: results of an open multicentre study.

Philipsen A, Richter H, Peters J, Alm B, Sobanski E, Colla M, Münzebrock M, Scheel C, Jacob C, Perlov E, Tebartz van Elst L, Hesslinger B

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg Medical School, Freiburg, Germany. alexandra.philipsen@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a serious mental disorder that often persists in adulthood. In a pilot study, a structured skills training group program for adult ADHD led to significant symptomatic improvements. The present study evaluated the program's effectiveness, feasibility, and patient acceptability in a multicenter setting. Seventy-two adult ADHD patients were assigned to 13 two-hour weekly sessions at 4 different therapy sites. The therapy was well tolerated and led to significant improvements of ADHD, depressive symptoms, and personal health status (p < 0.001). The factors treatment site and medication did not contribute to the overall improvement. Patients regarded the program topics "behavioral analyses," "mindfulness," and "emotion regulation" as the most helpful. In this multicenter study, the therapy program showed therapist-independent effects and seemed to be disorder-specific. This warrants the effort of organizing further controlled studies.

Published 19 December 2007 in J Nerv Ment Dis, 195(12): 1013-9.
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