Mindfulness Intervention for College Students With ADHD
- Conditions
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Services-As-UsualBehavioral: Mindfulness Awareness Practices for ADHD (adapted)
- Registration Number
- NCT06076967
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Brief Summary
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that commonly persists into adulthood and is associated with significant life impairments. The current study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a group-based mindfulness intervention for first-year college students with ADHD. If found to be feasible, acceptable, and efficacious, subsequent research will examine its impact on a larger scale to have a broader public health impact for college students with ADHD.
- Detailed Description
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that commonly persists into adulthood. Stimulant and non-stimulant pharmacotherapies are the mainstay of treatment; however, non- pharmacological interventions such as mindfulness have significant empirical support. The Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) for ADHD program, an 8-week, group-based mindfulness program for adults with ADHD, has been shown to reduce ADHD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. While promising, it is unknown as to whether the MAPs protocol is feasible, acceptable, and efficacious for college students with ADHD. The current study takes the first step towards enhanced study of mindfulness for college students with ADHD by testing the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an adapted MAPs protocol delivered within university counseling center settings during the first semester of college. First-year college students with ADHD will be recruited at the University of Alabama and Wofford College. After developing and beta testing an adapted MAPs intervention at both sites, students will be randomized to adapted MAPs or Services-As-Usual (SAU; standard support services provided by the universities). Groups will include 10 first-year students and will be run over a 2-year period in the fall semesters (i.e., 4 MAPs groups across the two sites; total MAPs n = 40; total SAU n = 40). MAPs groups will be led by trained therapists in university counseling centers. Assessments will occur at pre, post, and 6-month follow-up using measures of ADHD, sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), anxiety, and depression symptoms along with emotion regulation and mindfulness, our hypothesized mechanisms of change. Aims of the project are to: 1) adapt, manualize, and beta test the intervention, 2) conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial of adapted MAPs compared to SAU and examine feasibility and acceptability measures and clinical outcomes, and 3) examine whether the adapted MAPs intervention changes the targets hypothesized to be associated with changes in clinical outcomes (i.e., emotional regulation, mindfulness). If adequate feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy are documented, mindfulness for college students with ADHD can continue to be evaluated in larger trials. If ultimately found to be efficacious, this protocol has the potential to be widely disseminated within college counseling centers to have a broader public health impact for college students with ADHD.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 100
- First-semester college student with ADHD
- Age 17-25
- Must meet criteria for ADHD
- No major medical problems
- Severe depression
- Mania
- Ongoing substance abuse
- Personality disorder that may interfere with group delivery
- Psychotic symptoms
- Recent history of trauma
- Unstable dosage of psychotropic medication
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Services-As-Usual Services-As-Usual Services-As-Usual includes the standard academic support services provided by university disability/accessibility offices. Adapted Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPS) Mindfulness Awareness Practices for ADHD (adapted) The Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) for ADHD program, an 8-week, group-based mindfulness program for adults with ADHD, has been shown to reduce ADHD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. While promising, it is unknown as to whether the MAPs protocol is feasible, acceptable, and efficacious for college students with ADHD. The current study takes the first step towards enhanced study of mindfulness for college students with ADHD by testing the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an adapted MAPs protocol delivered within university counseling center settings during the first semester of college.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Attention Network Task Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This task measures aspects of attention such as alerting, orienting, and executive control.
Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses mindfulness in adults.
Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses adult ADHD symptoms
Adult Concentration Inventory Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses adult sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses adult anxiety and depression symptoms
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses emotion regulation abilities in adults.
Trier Social Stress Test Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses the ability to regulate social stress in a laboratory paradigm.
Mind Excessively Wandering Questionnaire Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses mind wandering in adults.
Sustained Attention to Response Task Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This task measures the ability to sustain attention and mind wandering during task performance.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Grade Point Average 6-month follow-up This measure assess academic performance in the college setting.
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult Version Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses self-rated executive functioning deficits in adults.
Social Functioning Questionnaire Pre-treatment, up to 1-month post-treatment, 6-month follow-up This measure assesses aspects of social functioning in adults.
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
Department of Psychology, Wofford College
🇺🇸Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama
🇺🇸Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States