JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Many adults with ADHD experience difficulties related to emotion regulation. Such difficulties are known to substantially impact quality of life and overall functioning. Yet, there is a lack of treatment interventions specifically designed to address these challenges

Objective:

The objective of the current study was to describe the development and assess the feasibility, along with the initial clinical outcomes, of a novel ‘blended’ intervention for adults with ADHD. The blended intervention combines both face-to-face and digital components and is specifically designed to address emotion dysregulation in ADHD.

Methods:

The current intervention was an eight-week blended intervention combining weekly face-to-face group session with a supplementary digital companion app for skills training. To evaluate its feasibility, we performed a 10-week feasibility study with an uncontrolled pre-post design including 16 adults with ADHD and co-occurring emotion dysregulation. The feasibility measures included adherence, satisfaction, and perceived credibility of the intervention. The clinical outcomes included self-reported symptoms of emotion dysregulation, inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, executive function, depression, anxiety, and a measure of quality of life.

Results:

Both treatment credibility and treatment satisfaction were rated favorably. In particular, the participants emphasized meeting others with ADHD as beneficial. In terms of adherence, three participants withdrew prior to initiating the intervention, while another four participants did not complete the intervention. On average, the participants who enrolled in the intervention attended 6.2 of 8 group sessions and completed 6.7 of 8 skills training modules in the companion app. In terms of clinical outcomes, there was a reduction in symptoms of emotion dysregulation from pre-, to post-intervention (d = 2.0). Significant improvements were also observed in secondary clinical outcomes, including inattention (d = 1.1), hyperactivity-impulsivity (d = 0.9), quality of life (d = 1.1) and depression (d = 0.5). However, no significant improvement was found in anxiety symptoms and a measure of executive functioning.

Conclusions:

The results are encouraging, particularly in terms of improving regulation of emotions. The blended format, combining digital and face-to-face elements, appeared to offer some advantages. The group-based format was valued as it facilitated peer interaction, while there was a rather high completion rate for skills training modules in the companion app, underscoring its potential to enhance skills training. Future randomized controlled trials are called for to further evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the intervention. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05644028