Are ADHD Screeners Safe to Use?

Objective: To investigate whether administration of a common ADHD screener followed by generic feedback would affect college students’ subsequent symptom reports and cognitive performance. Method: Participants were 157 college students randomly assigned to an experimental group—which completed the World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale screener and received standard generic feedback—or a control group. All participants then completed a battery of cognitive tasks and a long-form symptom rating scale. Results: The experimental and control groups did not differ significantly in terms of their subsequent symptom reports or their performance on any cognitive tasks. These null results remained after considering possibilities such as unequal group variances and interactions between screening effects and gender. Conclusion: When administered judiciously alongside generic feedback in a group setting, this common ADHD screener does not appear to affect college students’ self-perceptions or cognitive abilities.

Download Full-text

Parenting practices of Singaporean mothers of children with ADHD

Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare ◽

10.1177/2010105817714805 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 33-40

Author(s):

Alefiya Nomanbhoy ◽

Russell Hawkins

Keyword(s):

Adult Adhd ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Self Report ◽

Control Group ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Parenting Skills ◽

Parenting Strategies ◽

Parent Rating ◽

Children With Adhd ◽

Care Giving

Objectives: We wanted to determine: (1) whether ADHD symptoms were more common in mothers of children with ADHD; (2) whether mothers of children with ADHD differed in their parenting strategies; and (3) whether there was a difference in care-giving arrangements for children with ADHD and without ADHD. This was done by comparing mothers of children with ADHD with mothers of children without ADHD in Singapore. Methods: Mothers of children with ADHD ( n=46) and mothers of children without ADHD ( n=45) completed the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Revised, the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale-Self Report and the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire. Results: Mothers of children with ADHD did not report higher levels of current ADHD symptoms compared with the control group. However, they did use less adaptive parenting strategies. There were also no differences in the reported behaviours of children cared for by a paid worker and those cared for by mothers. Conclusions: Data support the Singapore Clinical Guidelines recommendations for the promotion of parenting skills, and referral to parenting programmes for parents of children with ADHD. The promotion of parenting skills and referral to parenting programmes for mothers of children with ADHD might include the option of electronic forms of programme delivery. The model of using paid help in the home, which is commonplace in Singapore, does not seem to disadvantage children with ADHD.

Download Full-text

Analysis of the intervention effect and self-satisfaction of sports dance exercise on the psychological stress of college students

Work ◽

10.3233/wor-213505 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Changliang Zheng ◽

Hongmei Ji

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Stress Response ◽

Psychological Stress ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Response Characteristic ◽

Control Group ◽

Observation Group ◽

Excessive Pressure ◽

Psychological Pressure ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND: College students are a high-risk subpopulation of psychological disorders. The problem of various adverse phenomena and consequences caused by excessive pressure on college students has gradually become the focus of social and psychological academic circles. However, studies related to individual self-concept and psychological pressure are rare. OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of sports dance exercises on college students’ psychological pressure and improve the psychological effects of their self-satisfaction. METHODS: College students were taken as research objects, randomly divided into a control group and an observation group. The observation group is intervened with sports dance exercises. The observation group was intervened with sports dance exercises. The stress response characteristic questionnaire and multidimensional self-satisfaction rating scale were utilized to measure college students’ conditions before and after the intervention. Finally, the obtained data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Generally, the psychological stress response of college students was mild, with self-satisfaction and various dimensions at a moderately higher level. No significant differences were discovered in the psychological stress response and self-satisfaction level between the control group and the observation group before intervention (P > 0.05), which were homogeneous. Compared with the data obtained before the intervention, after the intervention, the control group scores were slightly reduced in all dimensions of the psychological stress response and self-satisfaction. In contrast, the scores were significantly increased in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Psychological stress response could reliably explain 30.4%of the total self-satisfaction variance (P < 0.01). The negative self-evaluation was the most important variable affecting self-satisfaction, followed by poor interpersonal communication and poor sleeping quality. CONCLUSIONS: Sports dance exercises could alleviate the psychological stress of college students and improve their self-satisfaction. Colleges and universities should include sports dance in the content of optional public courses and encourage more college students to actively participate in sports dance exercises to improve their mental health.

Download Full-text

Embitterment in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.02.354 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S359-S360 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D. Sabic ◽

A. Sabic

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Health Center ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

World Health ◽

Control Group ◽

War Veterans ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Control

The aim of this study was to analyse frequency of embitterment in war veterans with Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as the potential impact of embitterment on the development of chronic PTSD.Patients and methodsIt was analyzed 174 subjects (from Health Center Zivinice/mental health center) through a survey conducted in the period from March 2015 to June 2016, of which 87 war veterans with PTSD and control subjects 87 war veterans without PTSD. The primary outcome measure was the post-traumatic embitterment disorder self-rating scale (PTED Scale) who contains 19 items designed to assess features of embitterment reactions to negative life events. Secondary efficacy measures included the clinician-administered PTSD scale–V (CAPS), the PTSD checklist (PCL), the combat exposure scale (CES), the Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D), the Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HAM-A) and the World health organization quality of life scale (WHOQOL-Bref). All subjects were male. The average age of patients in the group war veterans with PTSD was 52.78 ± 5.99. In the control group, average age was 51.42 ± 5.98. Statistical data were analyzed in SPSS statistical program.ResultsComparing the results, t-tests revealed significant difference between group veterans with PTSD and control group (t = −21,21, P < 0.0001). War veterans group with PTSD (X = 51.41, SD = 8,91), control group (X = 14.39, SD = 13.61).ConclusionEmbitterment is frequent in war veterans with PTSD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Download Full-text

Efficacy of ‘Foundations’, a Digital Mental Health App to Improve Mental Well-Being, during COVID-19: A Proof-of-Principle Randomised Controlled Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.30976 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Silvina Catuara-Solarz ◽

Bartlomiej Skorulski ◽

Inaki Estella ◽

Claudia Avella-Garcia ◽

Sarah Shepherd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

World Health ◽

Randomised Control Trial ◽

Control Group ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Proof Of Principle

BACKGROUND Against a long-term trend of increasing demand, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global rise in common mental disorders. Now more than ever, there is an urgent need for scalable, evidence-based interventions to support mental well-being. OBJECTIVE The aim of this proof-of-principle study was to evaluate the efficacy of a mobile-based app in adults with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and stress in a randomised control trial that took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. METHODS Adults with mild to severe anxiety and moderate to high levels of perceived stress were randomised to either the intervention or control arm. Participants in the intervention arm were given access to the app, Foundations, for the duration of the 4-week study. All participants were required to self-report a range of validated measures of mental well-being (10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience scale [CD-RISC-10]; 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]; Office of National Statistics Four Subjective Well-being Questions [ONS-4]; World Health Organisation-5 Well-Being Index [WHO-5]) and sleep (Minimal Insomnia Scale [MISS]) at baseline and weeks 2 and 4; and, in addition, on perceived stress weekly (10-item Perceived Stress Score [PSS]). RESULTS 136 participants completed the study and were included in the final analysis. The intervention group (n=62) showed significant improvements compared to the control group (n=74) on measures of anxiety (GAD-7 score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -1.35 [SD 4.43]; control group: -0.23 [SD 3.24]; t134= 1.71 , P=.04), resilience (CD-RISC score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: 1.79 [± SD 4.08]; control group: -0.31 [± SD 3.16]; t134 -3.37, P<.001), sleep (MISS score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -1.16 [± SD 2.67]; control group: -0.26 [± SD 2.29]; t134= 2.13, P=.01), and mental well-being (WHO-5 score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: 1.53 [5.30]; control group: -0.23 [± SD 4.20]; t134= -2.16, P=.02) within 2 weeks of using Foundations, with further improvements emerging at week 4. Perceived stress was also reduced within the intervention group, although the results did not reach statistical significance relative to the control group (PSS score, delta from baseline to week 2 in the intervention group: -2.94 [± SD 6.84]; control group: -2.05 [± SD 5.34]; t134= 0.84, P=.20). CONCLUSIONS This study provides proof-of-principle that the digital mental health app, Foundations, can improve measures of mental well-being, anxiety, resilience, and sleep within 2 weeks of use, with greater effects after 4 weeks. It therefore offers potential as a scalable, cost-effective, and accessible solution to enhance mental well-being, even during times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download Full-text

Characterizing the Placebo Response in Adults With ADHD

Journal of Attention Disorders ◽

10.1177/1087054718780328 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 425-433 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joseph Ben-Sheetrit ◽

Miriam Peskin ◽

Jeffrey H. Newcorn ◽

Yaron Daniely ◽

Liat Shbiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Adult Adhd ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Cohort Analysis ◽

Placebo Response ◽

Self Report ◽

Double Blind ◽

Retrospective Cohort Analysis ◽

Current Sample

Objective: Several ADHD pharmacological trials reported high placebo response (PR) rates. This study aims to characterize the PR in adult ADHD. Method: A retrospective cohort analysis of the placebo arm (140 adults with ADHD, 18-55 yrs, M:F 46.4%-53.6%) of a 6-week randomized, multicenter, double-blind metadoxine study, using Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), was conducted. Results: Pre–post changes in placebo-treated adults were significant for both the CAARS and ASRS, F(2.9, 404.5) = 61.2, p < .00001, F(2.8, 383.0) = 43.1, p < .00001, respectively. Less than half of the participants had a PR which began early in treatment and persisted; almost 50% had a variable, inconsistent PR. Conclusion: In the current sample, PR in adult ADHD was prominent on both symptom scales and the investigator–rater instrument. Therefore, using investigator ratings as a primary endpoint does not necessarily attenuate PR. Of note, about half of the PR is variable, suggesting unreliable determination of efficacy.

Download Full-text

Habenula connectivity and intravenous ketamine in treatment-resistant depression

The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology ◽

10.1093/ijnp/pyaa089 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ana Maria Rivas-Grajales ◽

Ramiro Salas ◽

Meghan E Robinson ◽

Karen Qi ◽

James W Murrough ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rating Scale ◽

Depressive Symptomatology ◽

Self Report ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Great Promise ◽

Control Group ◽

Affective States ◽

Frontal Pole ◽

The Right ◽

Intravenous Ketamine

Abstract Background Ketamine’s potent and rapid antidepressant properties have shown great promise to treat severe forms of major depressive disorder (MDD). A recently hypothesized antidepressant mechanism of action of ketamine is the inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-dependent bursting activity of the habenula (Hb), a small brain structure which modulates reward and affective states. Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted in 35 patients with MDD at baseline and 24 hours following treatment with intravenous ketamine. A seed-to-voxel functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed with the Hb as a seed-of-interest. Pre-post changes in FC and the associations between changes in FC of the Hb and depressive symptom severity were examined. Results A reduction in Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores from baseline to 24 hours after ketamine infusion was associated with an increase in FC between the right Hb and a cluster in the right frontal pole (t=4.65, P=0.03, FDR-corrected). A reduction in Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (QIDS-SR) score following ketamine was associated with increased FC between the right Hb and clusters in the right occipital pole (t=5.18, p<0.0001, FDR-corrected), right temporal pole (t=4.97, P<0.0001, FDR-corrected), right parahippocampal gyrus (t=5.80, P=0.001, FDR-corrected), and left lateral occipital cortex (t=4.73, P=0.03, FDR-corrected). Given the small size of the Hb, it is possible that peri-habenular regions contributed to the results. Conclusions These preliminary results suggest that the Hb might be involved in ketamine’s antidepressant action in patients with MDD, although these findings are limited by the lack of a control group.

Download Full-text

Item Response Theory Analyses of Barkley’s Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scales

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology ◽

10.1093/arclin/acaa041 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (7) ◽

pp. 1094-1108

Author(s):

Morgan E Nitta ◽

Brooke E Magnus ◽

Paul S Marshall ◽

James B Hoelzle

Keyword(s):

Item Response Theory ◽

Item Response ◽

Adult Adhd ◽

Rating Scales ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Self Report ◽

Clinical Population ◽

Response Theory ◽

Item Level ◽

Latent Traits

Abstract There are many challenges associated with assessment and diagnosis of ADHD in adulthood. Utilizing the graded response model (GRM) from item response theory (IRT), a comprehensive item-level analysis of adult ADHD rating scales in a clinical population was conducted with Barkley's Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV, Self-Report of Current Symptoms (CSS), a self-report diagnostic checklist and a similar self-report measure quantifying retrospective report of childhood symptoms, Barkley's Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV, Self-Report of Childhood Symptoms (BAARS-C). Differences in item functioning were also considered after identifying and excluding individuals with suspect effort. Items associated with symptoms of inattention (IA) and hyperactivity/impulsivity (H/I) are endorsed differently across the lifespan, and these data suggest that they vary in their relationship to the theoretical constructs of IA and H/I. Screening for sufficient effort did not meaningfully change item level functioning. The application IRT to direct item-to-symptom measures allows for a unique psychometric assessment of how the current DSM-5 symptoms represent latent traits of IA and H/I. Meeting a symptom threshold of five or more symptoms may be misleading. Closer attention given to specific symptoms in the context of the clinical interview and reported difficulties across domains may lead to more informed diagnosis.

Download Full-text

Reliability, Criterion and Concurrent Validity of the Farsi Translation of DIVA-5: A Semi-Structured Diagnostic Interview for Adults With ADHD

Journal of Attention Disorders ◽

10.1177/1087054720930816 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 108705472093081

Author(s):

Lida Zamani ◽

Zahra Shahrivar ◽

Javad Alaghband-Rad ◽

Vandad Sharifi ◽

Elham Davoodi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adult Adhd ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Diagnostic Interview ◽

Self Report ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Clinical Interviews ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Dsm 5 ◽

Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic ◽

Adult Outpatient

Objectives: This study evaluated the psychometrics of the Farsi translation of diagnostic interview for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults (DIVA-5) based on DSM-5 criteria. Methods: Referrals to a psychiatric outpatient clinic ( N = 120, 61.7% males, mean age 34.35 ± 9.84 years) presenting for an adult ADHD (AADHD) diagnosis, were evaluated using the structured clinical interviews for DSM-5 (SCID-5 & SCID-5-PD) and the DIVA-5. The participants completed Conner’s Adult ADHD Rating Scale-Self Report-Screening Version (CAARS-S-SV). Results: According to the SCID-5 and DIVA-5 diagnoses, 55% and 38% of the participants had ADHD, respectively. Diagnostic agreement was 81.66% between DIVA-5/SCID-5 diagnoses, 80% between SCID-5/CAARS-S-SV, and 71.66% between DIVA-5/CAARS-S-SV. Test–retest and inter-rater reliability results for the DIVA-5 were good to excellent. Conclusion: Findings support the validity and reliability of the Farsi translation of DIVA-5 among the Farsi-speaking adult outpatient population.

Download Full-text