Preliminary Evaluation of a Combined Group and Individual Treatment for College Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

• Evaluated the preliminary effects of a combined group- and individual-format CBT intervention for college students with ADHD.
• Examined changes in baseline and posttreatment ADHD symptoms and functional impairment for clients receiving both individual and group CBT.
• There were significant reductions in inattention symptoms and improvements in the domains of school and work functioning.
• The combined group and individual psychosocial intervention was effective in reducing symptoms and levels of impairment.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the preliminary effects of a CBT intervention, designed for adults with ADHD (Safren, Perlman, et al., 2005), adapted to a combined group and individual format for college students with ADHD. Participants included undergraduate and graduate students with the final sample consisting of 12 completers and 5 noncompleters. Treatment effectiveness was examined by comparing changes in baseline and post treatment levels of ADHD symptoms and functional impairment for these college students receiving both individual and group CBT. For this preliminary study, there was no comparison group. The adapted intervention resulted in significantly lower levels of inattention symptoms in completers. Further, completers reported significant improvement in functioning at school and work. Although the data showed no statistically significant reduction in hyperactivity/impulsivity or the other measured areas of life impairments, estimates of effect size suggest that the small sample size might have limited the detection of statistically significant differences in both hyperactivity/impulsivity and impairment in certain domains (i.e., self-esteem and daily living skills). Preliminary data suggested that the adapted intervention was effective in reducing symptoms and impairment in several critical areas. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.