ADHD is associated with deficiencies in short-term memory and executive function, negatively affecting patients' abilities to organize, schedule, multitask, follow through on instructions and finish jobs. This leads to uneven performance and possibly chronic underperformance in relation to actual intellectual resources. Psychiatric comorbidity is common for patients with ADHD, with 70-80% of adult patients meeting the criteria for at least one more clinical diagnosis. ADHD is also associated with sensation seeking and reckless behavior, including substance use and criminal activity.
Despite an increase in demand for assessment and treatment of ADHD among adults, access to evidence-based treatment is limited. In Sweden, most adult patients with ADHD are only offered pharmacological treatment. Pharmacological treatment, while in many cases effective, does not meet the demands of all patients, with 20-50% of patients not experiencing enough initial effect and/or excessive side-effects. Pharmacological treatment of ADHD also shows problems with long-term adherence, with approximately half of patients terminating treatment within the first two years, regardless of initial effect. Research on psychological treatment for adult ADHD is limited, though studies on behavioral treatment, including short-term therapies based on cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and dialectic behavior therapy (DBT), have shown promising results.
This project, dubbed Short ADHD Intervention (SAINT), is based on previous research and pilot-studies of psychological treatments for adult ADHD. An existing treatment manual, based on CBT and DBT practices, will be fitted into a five-session, intensive face-to-face behavioral intervention, with a booster session at a one-month follow-up. The intervention will be compared to an equally long, active comparative control, consisting of self-help material and limited therapist support via Internet. Approximately 80 participants will be recruited at outpatient clinics in Stockholm. The participants will be randomized to receive either SAINT or the self-help material and limited therapist support.
