Cited by 394Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderSubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesBehavioral and Psychological Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 14 of the 14 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 3 of the 11 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs Relaxation With Educational Support for Medication-Treated Adults With ADHD and Persistent Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Open access

Abstract

CONTEXT: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood is a prevalent, distressing, and impairing condition that is not fully treated by pharmacotherapy alone and lacks evidence-based psychosocial treatments. OBJECTIVE: To test cognitive behavioral therapy for ADHD in adults treated with medication but who still have clinically significant symptoms. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for 86 symptomatic adults with ADHD who were already being treated with medication. The study was conducted at a US hospital between November 2004 and June 2008 (follow-up was conducted through July 2009). Of the 86 patients randomized, 79 completed treatment and 70 completed the follow-up assessments. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to 12 individual sessions of either cognitive behavioral therapy or relaxation with educational support (which is an attention-matched comparison). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary measures were ADHD symptoms rated by an assessor (ADHD rating scale and Clinical Global Impression scale) at baseline, posttreatment, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. The assessor was blinded to treatment condition assignment. The secondary outcome measure was self-report of ADHD symptoms. RESULTS: Cognitive behavioral therapy achieved lower posttreatment scores on both the Clinical Global Impression scale (magnitude -0.0531; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.01 to -0.05; P = .03) and the ADHD rating scale (magnitude -4.631; 95% CI, -8.30 to -0.963; P = .02) compared with relaxation with educational support. Throughout treatment, self-reported symptoms were also significantly more improved for cognitive behavioral therapy (beta = -0.41; 95% CI, -0.64 to -0.17; P <001), and there were more treatment responders in cognitive behavioral therapy for both the Clinical Global Impression scale (53% vs 23%; odds ratio [OR], 3.80; 95% CI, 1.50 to 9.59; P = .01) and the ADHD rating scale (67% vs 33%; OR, 4.29; 95% CI, 1.74 to 10.58; P = .002). Responders and partial responders in the cognitive behavioral therapy condition maintained their gains over 6 and 12 months. CONCLUSION: Among adults with persistent ADHD symptoms treated with medication, the use of cognitive behavioral therapy compared with relaxation with educational support resulted in improved ADHD symptoms, which were maintained at 12 months. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00118911.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

Among medication-treated adults with persistent ADHD symptoms, 12 individual sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy improved blinded ADHD and Clinical Global Impression outcomes compared with relaxation with educational support. Gains were maintained up to 12 months among CBT responders or partial responders.

Key findings

  • At posttreatment, CBT produced lower Clinical Global Impression scale scores (parameter −0.53; 95% CI, −1.01 to −0.05; P=.03; d=0.53) and lower ADHD rating scale scores (parameter −4.63; 95% CI, −8.30 to −0.96; P=.02; d=0.60) than relaxation with educational support.
  • More CBT patients were treatment responders on the Clinical Global Impression scale (53% vs 23%; OR, 3.80; 95% CI, 1.50 to 9.59; P=.01) and ADHD rating scale (67% vs 33%; OR, 4.29; 95% CI, 1.74 to 10.58; P=.002).
  • Weekly self-reported ADHD symptoms improved more in CBT during treatment (β=−0.41; 95% CI, −0.64 to −0.17; P<.001).
  • Among CBT responders or partial responders, follow-up slopes for ADHD rating scale (β=−0.12; 95% CI, −0.41 to 0.18; P=.41), Clinical Global Impression scale (β=0.01; 95% CI, −0.03 to 0.05; P=.59), and self-report (β=0.05; 95% CI, −0.04 to 0.15; P=.26) did not differ from zero, indicating maintenance of gains.

Methods

  • Randomized controlled trial at a US hospital from November 2004 to June 2008, with follow-up through July 2009; 86 adults meeting DSM-IV ADHD criteria, taking medication but still reporting clinically significant symptoms, were randomized to 12 individual sessions of CBT or relaxation with educational support; 79 completed treatment and 70 completed follow-up.
  • Primary outcomes were blinded assessor-rated ADHD rating scale and Clinical Global Impression severity at baseline, posttreatment, and 6- and 12-month follow-up; secondary outcome was self-report ADHD symptoms on the Current Symptoms Scale.
  • Analysis used ANCOVA adjusting for baseline values with multiple imputation, mixed-effects models for weekly self-report and follow-up, and Fisher exact tests/odds ratios for categorical responder analyses; responders were defined as a 2-point CGI reduction or CGI score of 1 or 2, and at least 30% reduction on the ADHD rating scale.

Limitations

  • The paper states that the open follow-up period and nonrandom next-step treatment among nonresponders confound between-group follow-up comparisons; missing data were limited, but multiple imputation cannot account for the possibility that non-completers were not benefiting from treatment.
  • The paper states that motivational effects of entering a clinical trial versus clinical treatment cannot be judged, and later samples may differ in motivation, education, or other factors affecting generalizability; the self-report follow-up also showed a statistically significant condition × time interaction, though of small magnitude and limited clinical significance.
  • Evident from the text: the same therapists delivered both conditions, so contamination/adherence was monitored by rating 14% of sessions; primary follow-up analyses were restricted to CBT responders or partial responders, which limits conclusions about maintenance in nonresponders.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1001/jama.2010.1192

Cites

14 of 14 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

3 of 11 cited sources checked · 1 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 20 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 18
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 12
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
22 of 22
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Relaxation with educational support is an attention-matched control that does not have specific active effects on ADHD, so between-group differences can be attributed to cognitive behavioral therapy-specific effects.

    “relaxation with educational support (which is an attention-matched comparison)”
    “These results demonstrate that the type of cognitive behavioral therapy studied has effects over and above time and attention with a therapist”
1 of 1

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Self-report interaction estimate falls outside its confidence interval

    Minor

    The reported interaction estimate is negative, but both bounds of its reported 95% confidence interval are positive.

  • Abstract and results give different Clinical Global Impression treatment effects

    Minor

    The abstract reports a treatment-effect magnitude of −0.0531, while the results report −0.53 for the same posttreatment outcome.

2 of 2

Citations

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Show all 14 references

Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. [8]Safren SA Perlman CA Sprich S Otto MW Mastering Your Adult ADHD: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach 2005 Oxford Univeristy Press New York, NY
  2. [9]Safren SA Sprich S Perlman CA Otto MW Mastering Your Adult ADHD: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program Client Workbook 2005 Oxford Univeristy Press New York, NY
  3. [10]First M Spitzer RL Gibbon M Williams J Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Patient Edition 1995 Biometrics Research Department, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Items 201–300 of 374

Metadata

Authors
Safren, S. A., Sprich, S., Mimiaga, M. J., Surman, C., Knouse, L., Groves, M., & Otto, M. W.
Affiliations
  • Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
  • Boston University (US)
Corresponding author
Safren, Steven A.
Venue
JAMA
Published
2010-08-25
Volume
304
Issue
8
Pages
875
ISSN
  • 0002-9955 (ISSN-L)
  • 0098-7484
OpenAlex
W2024818417
Cited by
394
References
14
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 39
FWCI
20.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • JAMA (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH069812)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
Keywords
treatment, adult ADHD, psychosocial interventions, ADHD Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression Scale, treatment response, self-reported symptoms, medication adherence, relapse, relapse prevention, psychoeducation, hospital-based treatment, cost-effectiveness, quality of life, social functioning
MeSH terms
Adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Drug Resistance, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Education as Topic, Relaxation Therapy, Severity of Illness Index, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Treatment Outcome

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