Plan My Life Together; a Group Training for Adolescents With ADHD

A Group Training to Plan and Organize for Adolescents With ADHD: Effectiveness and Feasibility

This observational study is a first orientation on the effects and feasibility of a group training to plan and organize for adolescents with attention deficit disorder (ADHD). This study focuses on the following questions:

• Is there an improvement on planning skills after training?
• Are there fewer ADHD characteristics after training?
• Is there an improvement on self-esteem after training?
• How feasible is a group training for adolescents with ADHD?
• How satisfied are practitioners and adolescents about the training?

Based on the effect-size of the individual training variant, the literature on the effect of group treatment and the adolescent target group, in which the peer group gets more important, the hypothesis is that the group training Plan My Life Together will have a medium to large effect on planning skills. Furthermore, positive effects on ADHD characteristics and self-esteem are also expected. The assumption is that Plan My Life Together is feasible and suitable.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: ADHD; Adolescence
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Plan My Life Together

Detailed Description

Attention deficit and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity disorder (ADHD) has a high prevalence in the adolescence. In this age stage, where independence and personal responsibility become increasingly important, ADHD is characterized mainly by problems in executive functions and there are often problems in planning schoolwork.This is frequently accompanied by tensions in the family. More co-morbidity also develops, including problems in self-image, as a result of negative feedback from the environment. Individual behavioral treatment has been found to be effective in reducing ADHD symptoms. In the ADHD guidelines (cognitive) behavioral therapy aimed at planning and organization, with consideration for motivational interviewing elements, is recommended for adolescents.

In the individual training Plan My Life, adolescents learn to plan their school and homework better through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing, so that they have fewer problems with their ADHD characteristics and have more positive experiences. The training is proven effective, few adolescents drop out, and parents and practitioners are positive about the training. The training was developed and studied on an individual basis.

There may be advantages to offering this training in a group setting. Among other things, the group can serve as a catalyst and experiences can be shared. Group therapy has been shown to work for several mental disorders, in some cases even better than the individual therapy. It is obvious that in adolescence the group is relatively even more important. Also, group treatment can be more efficient.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Eva Velthorst, PhD; Phone Number: + 31 6 18644345; Email: e.velthorst@ggz-nhn.nl
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Rosa van Mourik, PhD; Phone Number: +31 613097498; Email: r.vanmourik@ggz-nhn.nl

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Heerhugowaard, Netherlands, 1703WC
    • Recruiting
    • GGZ Noord-Holland-Noord
    • Contact: Manon van Hensbergen, MSc; Phone Number: +31 6 20853373; Email: m.vanhensbergen@ggz-nhn.nl

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 16 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants are from the region "North-Holland" and receive mental health care for ADHD and possible other mental health problems. Medication use is allowed if participants function stable on medication.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• adolescents with an ADHD classification according to the DSM-5.
• age 12 to 16 years.
• outpatient treatment at "GGZ-NHN" (specialized mental health care service in the Netherlands))
• currently following secondary regular education
• Intention to participate in the group and willingness to fill out questionnaires several times.

Exclusion Criteria:

• a DSM-5 classification of autism
• acute crisis situation (acute suicidality, acute psychotic symptoms, addiction problems requiring immediate treatment, or unsafe home situation)
• Insufficient mastery of the Dutch language.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in the subscale scores plan/organize - self rated (from BRIEF-2, see description))	Subscale plan/organize from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adolescent version Higher scores indicated better planning/organizing scales. Subscale ranges from 8 - 24	Baseline (start study) - T0 (=9 weeks after start study, intervention starts) - T1 (=18 weeks after start study) - T2 (=27 weeks after start study)
Change in the subscale score plan/organize - parent rated (from BRIEF-2, see description)	Subscale plan/organize from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Parent version Higher scores indicated better planning/organizing scales. Subscale ranges from 8 - 24	Baseline (start study) - T0 (=9 weeks after start study, intervention starts) - T1 (=18 weeks after start study) - T2 (=27 weeks after start study)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in AVL - parent rated (see description)	ADHD Vragenlijst - ouders (ADHD rating scale, Dutch version) Higher scores indicate more ADHD-symptoms. Range: 0 - 72	Baseline (start study) - T0 (=9 weeks after start study, intervention starts) - T1 (=18 weeks after start study) - T2 (=27 weeks after start study)
Change in RSES - self rated (see description)	Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale - Adolescent version Higher scores indicate more self-esteem. Range: 0-40	Baseline (start study) - T0 (=9 weeks after start study, intervention starts) - T1 (=18 weeks after start study) - T2 (=27 weeks after start study)
Change in RSES - parent rated (see description)	Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale - Parent version Higher scores indicate more self-esteem. Range: 0-40	Baseline (start study) - T0 (=9 weeks after start study, intervention starts) - T1 (=18 weeks after start study) - T2 (=27 weeks after start study)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Scale questions on satisfaction	Scale questions for practitioners and adolescents to measure satisfaction with the group training Higher scores indicate more satisfaction. Range: 1-10.	Only at T2 (=27 weeks after start study)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: GGZ Noord-Holland-Noord
• Collaborators: Universiteit Leiden
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Manon van Hensbergen, MSc, GGZ Noord-Holland-Noord

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 9, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 3, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): February 14, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 13, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 11, 2023
• Last Verified: October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Planning and organization skills; Plan My Life; Group Training
• Other Study ID Numbers: GGZNHN

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Anonimized data will be shared upon request and careful consideration of research plan by the principal investigators.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No