Traditional Workshop 11 - Thriving in College with ADHD: A CBT Skills Approach

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic disorder characterized by inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that impacts functioning across the lifespan. Some of the most profound impacts of ADHD arise in educational settings, extending to higher education. In college students, the disorder is associated with lower GPAs and graduation rates as well as elevated rates of comorbid disorders (Anastopoulos et al., 2018; DuPaul et al., 2009, 2021).

Fortunately, research over the past two decades has demonstrated that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that is specifically tailored to the needs of adults with ADHD can be efficacious for ADHD symptom reduction (Liu et al., 2023). Because treatment satisfaction is associated with the extent to which the CBT approach is tailored to the specific needs of adult clients with ADHD (William et al., 2024), a few research groups have endeavored to develop CBTs that are even more adapted to the unique needs of emerging adults (Knouse & Fleming, 2016; LaCount et al., 2019)—specifically, college students—with the disorder (Anastopoulos et al., 2021; Fleming et al., 2015; Hartung et al., 2022).

Over the past several years, we have developed and tested a tailored CBT approach for college students with ADHD (Canu et al., 2023; Hartung et al., 2022). Like most efficacious CBTs for adult ADHD (Safren et al., 2010; Solanto et al., 2010), our approach is firmly grounded in helping students acquire organization, time management, and planning (OTMP) skills to support their deficits in executive functioning, supported by cognitive strategies (Ramsay, 2020) and integrating skill areas appropriate to this developmental period and setting including academic skills, relationship navigation, healthy lifestyles, and “adulting.”

Using didactics, practice exercises, and demonstration videos, this workshop will ground participants in the theoretical and empirical basis of the approach and help them to acquire the skills needed to begin to implement this treatment approach in their practice. The workshop will also give clinicians guidance in implementing this flexible approach in both group or individual format as well as how to tailor the treatment to the unique needs of each client.

Recommended Reading 1: Hartung, C. M., Lefler, E. K., Canu, W. H., Stevens, A. E., Jaconis, M., LaCount, P. A., Shelton, C. R., Leopold, D. R., & Willcutt, E. G. (2019). DSM-5 and other symptom thresholds for ADHD: Which is the best predictor of impairment in college students? Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(13), 1637-1646. doi: 10.1177/1087054716629216

Recommended Reading 2: LaCount, P. A., Hartung, C. M., & Canu, W. H., & Knouse, L. E. (2019). Interventions for adolescents with ADHD transitioning to emerging adulthood: Developmental context and empirically-supported treatment principles. Evidence-Based Practice in Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 4, 170-186. doi: 10.1080/23794925.2018.1518120

Recommended Reading 3: DuPaul, G. J., Gormley, M. J., Anastopoulos, A. D., Weyandt, L. L.,
Labban, J., Sass, A. J., Busch, C. Z., Franklin, M. K., & Postler, K. B. (2021). Academic trajectories of college students with and without ADHD: Predictors of four-year outcomes. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 0(0), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2020.1867990

Recommended Reading 4: Liu, C., Hua, M., Lu, M., & Goh, K. K. (2023). Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural‐based interventions for adults with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder extends beyond core symptoms: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychology &
Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 96(3), 543–559.

Outline:
• Introductions
• Treatment Approach Overview
• Educating Clients about ADHD
• Organization, Time Management, and Planning
• Academic Learning Skills
• Thinking and Responding Differently
• Taking Good Care of Yourself
• Being Successful in Relationships
• "Adulting" or Managing Daily Tasks of Living
• Wrap-up and Q & A