Objective:To assess long-term effectiveness of guided self-help for parents of children with ADHD under routine care conditions. Method: 6- to 12-year-old children diagnosed with ADHD were enrolled in an observational study on a 1-year telephone-assisted parent-administered behavioral intervention. N = 136 families who completed the intervention participated in a follow-up assessment. Pre-, post-, and follow-up data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA with planned contrasts. Clinical significance was analyzed according to the reliable change index. Results: Child ADHD symptoms (primary outcome), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms, overall behavioral problems, and quality of life improved during the intervention. There was a further improvement in ADHD symptoms at follow-up, with a medium effect size. Improvements during treatment in ODD symptoms, overall behavioral problems, and quality of life were maintained at follow-up. Conclusion: The findings suggest that telephone-assisted self-help interventions may result in a long-term reduction of child behavior problems.

BackgroundDepressive disorders are among the most prominent health problems in youth. Even with the best available pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, remission rates are low. Without early treatment, depression in youth is associated with a high risk of symptom progression, chronicity, co-morbidity, and suicidal behavior. Thus, adolescent depression is a prime candidate for innovation in treatment. In depressive adults, meta-analytic evidence has proven that bright light therapy (BLT) is a potent low-threshold intervention, promising due to easy application, low side effects, and optimized compliance. In adolescents, studies with small samples show promising effects. This randomized controlled trial will examine the effectiveness of BLT in youth inpatients.Methods/designIn this randomized, controlled, double-blind multicenter parallel group trial, morning BLT is applied for four weeks in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) for depressed youth inpatients (daily morning exposure to bright light via light-emitting glasses, 10,000 lx, for 30 min) and will be compared to a control condition (placebo light treatment, red light, identical light glasses). The primary objective is to assess whether BLT reduces symptoms of depression in youth with greater effect compared to placebo light therapy. Secondary objectives are to examine the impact of BLT on responder status, application of antidepressant medication, and further depression-related symptoms (sleep, activity, quality of life, satisfaction with health, general psychopathology, alertness, and circadian function). N = 224 patients will be recruited in a naturalistic inpatient setting. A follow-up will be carried out after three and six months.DiscussionThe study aims to discuss and evaluate BLT as an additive method supporting standardized clinical procedures dealing with severe to moderate depressive symptoms in youth.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00013188. Registered on November 30, 2017.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2949-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

These results indicate that guided self-help programs for families with children with ADHD are effective, also as an addition to pharmacological treatment.

BackgroundCurrent treatments for adolescents with substance use disorder (SUD) have had only limited success. In recent years, research has underlined the role of self-regulatory processes and impulsivity in the development and maintenance of SUD in adolescents. Mindfulness has gained much attention due to its capacity to influence self-regulatory processes, particularly in adult populations. Initial studies have shown the potential of mindfulness-based approaches in younger SUD patients. The aim of the present clinical trial is to evaluate the added treatment effect of a mindfulness-based group psychotherapy (“Mind it!”) for adolescents with SUD in comparison to the current standard treatment. Moreover, we seek to explore the feasibility of the intervention and possible mediators of treatment effects.Methods/designThere will be N = 340 participants aged between 13 and 19 years who are receiving child or adolescent psychiatric or psychotherapeutic inpatient or day treatment targeting their SUD and who have reported substance use 30 days before detoxification and do not show acute psychotic or suicidal symptoms at baseline. The study is a prospective randomized controlled multi-center trial in which patients are assessed: (1) after completing a prior detoxification phase (t0), (2) at 4 weeks (t1), (3) at 8 weeks (t2), and (4) at 6 months after t2 (t3). Participants in the intervention group will receive mindfulness-based group psychotherapy in addition to their existing treatment regime. The primary outcome is substance use in the past 30 days at follow-up based on the Timeline Followback self-report. Secondary outcomes include craving, severity of dependence, and abstinence motivation. Mindfulness, impulsivity, and emotion regulation will be analyzed as possible mediators of treatment effects.DiscussionThis trial is expected to provide evidence of the added effect of a novel, safe, and feasible treatment option for adolescents with SUD.Trial registrationGerman Register of Clinical Studies, DRKS00014041. Registered on 17 April 2018.