Pilot Trial: DBT skills group for Adolescents with ADHD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Acceptability and Feasibility of Implementing a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills Group for Adolescents with ADHD
IRAS ID
321708
Contact name
Kate Johnston
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
SLaM R&D
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by three main symptoms: hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. These symptoms have a wide-reaching impact on a person’s life. Adolescents with ADHD are six times more likely to be excluded from school, have difficulties turn taking, express anger more often, have poorer emotion regulation and self-report a lower quality of life. In adulthood, people with ADHD are more likely to develop mental health difficulties, and to experience unemployment and divorce. It is thought that emotion regulation and poor social skills are key factors leading to increases in mental health difficulties and poorer long term social outcomes. This study will look at whether an intervention, which aims to increase emotion regulation and social functioning, is practical to run and satisfactory to participants. The intervention will be a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills group which will be adapted to specifically meet the needs of an ADHD adolescent cohort. DBT is an approach that aims to provide skills to identify what we are feeling and change what we do in response to that feeling. For example, if we feel anger and the urge to be aggressive, DBT helps us to problem solve and find a more effective way of responding to our anger. Also, if we want to communicate a need to others DBT helps us think about the most effective actions we can take to achieve this outcome. The intervention will be developed in collaboration with adolescents with ADHD. The intervention will then be delivered at the outpatient clinic site they received their diagnosis from. All participants will have a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD. Pre and post measures will be collected and reported on. We hope to commence recruitment in July 2023 and finish all data collection by 31st March 2024.
REC name
Wales REC 2
REC reference
23/WA/0181
Date of REC Opinion
24 Aug 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion