Emotion regulation training for adolescents with ADHD: a multiple-baseline single-case experimental study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Adolescents with ADHD frequently struggle with emotion regulation.
• Limited effective treatment options exist for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel psychological intervention for enhancing emotion regulation in adolescent ADHD.
• To evaluate intervention outcomes using a single-case experimental design.

Main Methods:

• Employed a single-case experimental design with multiple baselines across seven adolescent girls (13-17 years) with ADHD.
• Assessed feasibility through attrition, retention, adherence, homework completion, and satisfaction.
• Measured emotion dysregulation using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form (DERS-SF) weekly.

Main Results:

• The intervention was feasible, though homework completion and engagement posed challenges.
• Post-intervention, six adolescents and caregivers reported reduced emotion dysregulation.
• Four participants demonstrated visual and/or statistical improvement; sensitivity analyses indicated potential benefits for emotional clarity.

Conclusions:

• The psychological intervention shows promise for improving emotion regulation in adolescent ADHD.
• Further research is needed to optimize engagement and confirm effectiveness, particularly regarding emotional clarity.