Behavioral parent training as an adjunct to routine care in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: moderators of treatment response

Abstract

Objective: To investigate predictors and moderators of outcome of behavioral parent training (BPT) as adjunct to ongoing routine clinical care (RCC), versus RCC alone.

Methods: We randomly assigned 94 referred children (4-12 years) with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to BPT plus RCC or RCC alone. Outcome was based on parent-reported behavioral problems and ADHD symptoms. Predictor/moderator variables included children's IQ, age, and comorbidity profile, and maternal ADHD, depression, and parenting self-efficacy.

Results: Superior BPT treatment effects on behavioral problems and ADHD symptoms were present in children with no or single-type comorbidity-anxiety/depression or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)/conduct disorder (CD)-and when mothers had high parenting self-efficacy, but absent in children with broad comorbidity (anxiety/depression and ODD/CD) and when mothers had low parenting self-efficacy. In older children ADHD symptoms tended to decrease more through BPT than in younger children.

Conclusions: Adjunctive BPT is most useful when mothers have high parenting self-efficacy and in children with no or single-type comorbidity.