Treating Comorbid Anxiety in Adolescents With ADHD Using a Cognitive Behavior Therapy Program Approach

This study wanted to determine how well cognitive behavioral therapy could work for adolescents with ADHD and anxiety.

Previous studies have shown that ADHD is closely linked with anxiety:

Evidence shows that CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) can work in adults with ADH

CBT is also commonly used clinically for adults and children.

However, there is a lack of research and data on how well it works in teenagers with ADHD and anxiety.

This is particularly important because of the high rates of anxiety disorders in ADHD.

The study used a cognitive behavioral therapy program for children with ADHD and anxiety.

It provided education on symptoms and techniques for managing anxiety.

The trial itself was a small trial of 9 teenagers over 8 weeks.

Researchers evaluated the program's success by changes in anxiety in the participants.

The small study showed that teenagers who received cognitive behavioral therapy had less anxiety at the end of the study.

Each domain of anxiety tested in the study also showed significant improvements, including less social anxiety and fewer physical symptoms of anxiety.

While this was not a randomized controlled trial, nor was there a control group, the data does offer evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy can potentially reduce anxiety in teenagers with anxiety and ADHD.

One caveat is that the data appears specific to the cognitive behavioral therapy program the researchers conducted.

One specific feature of this program was thefocus on reducing anxiety during times when anxiety may be elevated.

It is unclear whether the study's results extend to all cognitive behavioral therapy programs.

Based on the results, the researchers concluded that this particular cognitive behavioral therapy was effective in reducing anxiety symptoms in teenagers with ADHD and anxiety.