Acting Out to ACTing On: A Preliminary Investigation in Youth with ADHD and Co-morbid Disorders

Murrell, Amy R.; Steinberg, Daniel S.; Connally, Melissa L.; Hulsey, Teresa; Hogan, Erin

doi:10.1007/s10826-014-0020-7

Cited by 19 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Indeed, fluctuations of the cognitive tasks’ scores observed during this preliminary study are likely to represent either random fluctuations or developmental changes in the performance, not real treatment effects. The results reported here, therefore, seem to point out that the previous findings (Murrell et al, 2015; Vanzin et al, 2020) of a possible significant benefit of ACT-based child training could be limited to ADHD behavioural symptoms. In particular, the present findings do not replicate, on a cognitive level, the recent results of Vanzin et al (2020) showing a reduction of inattention as behaviourally rated by parents via the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Revised, in a partially overlapping set of participants.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…However, to the best of our knowledge, only two studies have investigated the efficacy of ACT-based interventions in either children or adolescents with ADHD. Murrell, Steinberg, Connally, Hulsey, and Hogan (2015) evaluated the feasibility of a short ACT-group training in nine school-aged children with ADHD and comorbid learning disorders. The programme consisted of 60-min group sessions, once a week, for 8 weeks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does ACT-Group Training Improve Cognitive Domain in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? A Single-Arm, Open-Label Study

et al. 2020

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This single-arm, open-label study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioural group training based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on cognition in drug-naïve children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thirty-six children with ADHD aged 8–13 were invited to participate in the 9-month ACT training programme, which consisted of 26 weekly sessions of group therapy lasting 90 min each. Their parents also received 12 sessions of ACT-based parent training, every 2 weeks. The outcome measure for the present study was the change in the cognitive performance assessed by a battery of computerised task. The cognitive outcome of children receiving ACT-group intervention was compared to that of an external untreated control group of children with ADHD. No significant improvements were observed in any of the cognitive measures. This preliminary study suggests that the 9-month ACT-group training programme might not have positive effects on cognitive difficulties usually occurring in ADHD. Future randomised controlled trials with larger sample sizes are required to shed more light on this issue.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does ACT-Group Training Improve Cognitive Domain in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? A Single-Arm, Open-Label Study

et al. 2020

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“…This could also explain the well-known lack of generalization to other contexts and behavioural topographies, which different authors have described regarding traditional Cognitive Behavioural treatments for ADHD (Chambles and Ollendick 2001;Pelham and Fabiano 2008). Murrell et al (2015) studied the efficacy of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based protocol, a so-called 'third wave' cognitive-behavioural intervention (Hayes et al 2004(Hayes et al , 1999Wilson and Luciano 2002) for the treatment of ADHD. This preliminary investigation assesses the feasibility of using ACT in school-aged children with comorbid ADHD, learning disorders and behaviour problems, in order to increase committed actions connected to personal values.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical Effects of an ACT-Group Training in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

et al. 2019

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Objective The aim of the present study is evaluate the effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)based training protocol, in adjunct to token economy and previous parent training, in a sample of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). By promoting the reduction of immediate responses to thoughts and feelings, we aimed to reduce the impulsive behaviour of children and to improve their self-regulation. Methods The protocol was centred on awareness of the present moment, defusion and acceptance of feelings and emotions. Behavioural (Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Long version, CPRS-R:L) and severity measures (Clinical Global Impression-Severity, CGI-S) were assessed before and after treatment in a clinical sample of 31 children aged 8-13 years. Results At the end of the ACT protocol, children showed significant improvement in global functioning and behavioural symptoms. There were significant improvements in the CPRS subscales Cognitive Problems (p = 0.005), Hyperactivity (p = 0.006), Perfectionism (p = 0.017), ADHD Index (p = 0.023), Global Index: Restless-Impulsive (p = 0.023), Global Index: Total (p = 0.036), DSM IV Inattentive (p = 0.029), DSM IV Hyperactive-Impulsive (p = 0.016), and DSM IV Total (p = 0.003). When controlling for the confounding effect of pharmacological therapy, comorbidities and socioeconomic status, treatment maintained a significant effect on the CPRS subscales Perfectionism (partial η 2 = 0.31, p < 0.01), Global Index: Restless-Impulsive (partial η 2 = 0.29, p < 0.01), Global Index: Total (partial η 2 = 0.31, p < 0.01), DSM IV Hyperactive-Impulsive (partial η 2 = 0.20, p = 0.02). Symptom severity as rated by CGI-S scores decreased in 74.2% of the children. Conclusions This preliminary work on an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based child training in children affected by ADHD resulted in significant improvements, measured by a rating scale specific for ADHD. Keywords ADHD • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy • Rehabilitation • Conners parent rating scale • Child training Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder common in childhood, with symptoms including troubles in paying and maintaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. The

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“…Similarly, Murrell et al (2015) reported that out of nine children (11–15 years) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning problems and behavioral problems, approximately one-third demonstrated clinically significant changes in behavioral symptoms. Furthermore, Ghomian and Shairi (2014) employed a quasi-experimental design where 10 children (7–12 years) with chronic pain received an ACT intervention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…ACT identifies six core processes that work together to achieve psychological flexibility: acceptance, defusion, contact with the present moment also known as mindfulness, self-as-context, valuing, and committed action ( Hayes et al, 1999 ). With the significant overlap and intersection among the six core processes, one’s mastery of these processes is typically measured by experiential avoidance as a proxy for psychological inflexibility ( Murrell et al, 2015 ). A review of the empirical evidence underpinning ACT concludes that ACT has shown to be effective at improving a range of problems where experiential avoidance is present.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With Adventure Therapy to Promote Psychological Wellbeing for Children At-Risk

et al. 2018

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With high rates of psychological distress reported amongst children internationally, the development and evaluation of new program initiatives is critical in order to meet the challenge of this burgeoning issue. Both acceptance and commitment therapy and adventure therapy are emerging as popular strategies to elevate psychological wellbeing. This small-scale program evaluation focuses on nine upper primary school-aged children enrolled in a specialist school in Australia for children with challenging behavior and/or emotional needs. Participants completed a newly developed 8-week intervention entitled ‘ACT in the Outdoors’ which combined key principles of both acceptance and commitment therapy and adventure therapy. The program was evaluated via a combination of pre and post participant psychological measures, and post interviews with participants and teachers. The results of this small-scale preliminary evaluation suggest that a portion of the participating children reported improvements in psychological wellbeing and skill development. Improvements appear to be mitigated by attendance and level of psychological wellbeing upon program entry. Based on this premise, the results suggest that more research is warranted to further understand the potential benefit of this innovative interdisciplinary approach.

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Acting Out to ACTing On: A Preliminary Investigation in Youth with ADHD and Co-morbid Disorders

Cited by 19 publications

References 25 publications

Does ACT-Group Training Improve Cognitive Domain in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? A Single-Arm, Open-Label Study

Does ACT-Group Training Improve Cognitive Domain in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? A Single-Arm, Open-Label Study

Clinical Effects of an ACT-Group Training in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With Adventure Therapy to Promote Psychological Wellbeing for Children At-Risk

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