Web-based Interactive Intervention for Employees with ADHD

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project will deliver an Internet-based modular tool kit designed to support EmployeeAssistance Program (EAP) therapists in the management of adult ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). ADHD is a debilitating condition, which impairs the worksite and day-to-day functioning of 4.2% of adult Americans. It is widely acknowledged that effective employer-provided mental health care interventions can result in substantial benefits for employers and employees. However, the four to eight sessions typically allowed by an EAP are often insufficient for addressing the challenges associated with ADHD. We propose to develop a comprehensive toolkit comprised of a set of assessment and skill-building modules based on empirically validated cognitive behavioral therapy treatment protocols. The EAP therapist will select all or a subset of the Internet-based tools depending on the specific needs of the client. The proposed program will provide: (a) symptom severity and stageof change assessment tools; (b) a set of modules on adultADHD education, organizing/planning and time management skills, emotional regulation, motivation, attention (focusing and sustaining), and self esteem (assertiveness), that can be completed by the client as between-session exercises and skills training; and (c) a therapist console to monitor symptoms and track the use of the program. This approach will allow the client to make greater progress between sessions and to complete their EAP therapy/intervention in the limited 4-8 sessions typically offered. In Phase I the Time Management module of the Internet-based program will be developed and its feasibility and proof of concept will be evaluated. In Phase II, the remaining tools/modules of the program will be developed. The completed program will be evaluated in a randomized control trial with a significant follow-up period to demonstrate long-term efficacy of the intervention. The product will then be marketed to EAPs across the United States and Canada. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Adult ADHD poses a common and costly mental health problem in the United States. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services help to reduce costs to both employer and employees by providing support for ADHD employees withproblems. This program has the potential to improve the quality of treatment that employees with ADHD receive through EAP care providers, and to do so without increasing expensive staff time by offering a set of Internet-based skill-building modules thatcan be used as adjunct support for existing EAP counselor treatment.