Margaret Sibley, Ph.D.

Fellow in Child & Adolescent ADHD

Project Details

PROJECT TITLE

Optimizing Psychosocial Treatment Models for Adolescents with ADHD

PROJECT SUMMARY

For adolescents with ADHD, psychosocial and psychopharmacological treatment utilization is poor and lags substantially behind that of children (Biswas, 2009).  Treatment non-utilization by adolescents with ADHD likely contributes to the poor long-term effects of childhood treatments (Molina et al., 2009) and the serious negative outcomes experienced by adults with ADHD, such as criminal behavior, addiction, and unemployment (Barkley et al., 2008). Realistic attempts to increase treatment utilization in this population must seek to fold palatable services into existing U.S. public health infrastructure.

Dr. Sibley’s study compares the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and predictors of response of two family-based psychosocial treatments for adolescents with ADHD that vary in cost and intensity: a group psychosocial program (STAND-Group; Sibley et al., 2014) and a one-on-one family therapy program (STAND-Individual; Sibley et al., 2013). Both programs show preliminary efficacy and were designed to be delivered (and be billable) in community mental health settings. Adolescents with ADHD  (N=120) will be randomly assigned to receive STAND-I or STAND-G and will be followed up to six months post-treatment. It is hoped that the results of this study will inform treatment selection and tailoring, and ultimately enhance service utilization, for adolescents with ADHD.

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