Introduction
The article presents the findings of a research study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of psychotherapy and cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The first-line treatment for ADHD is medication. However, studies have found out that the application of this remedy alone is ineffective. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective psychotherapy remedies applied in the treatment of ADHD. The research paper includes a literature synthesis that provides intervention guidance for nurses and other medical practitioners dealing with people with ADHD. The literature review involved an analysis of 9 articles retrieved from three electronic databases. These databases included Public Medline (PubMed), Google Scholar, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Literature (CINAHL). According to the review, CBT is the most effective psychotherapy remedy for treating ADHS in adolescents and adults.
Type of paper
The article was a research study conducted to determine how CBT compares with other psychotherapies in treating ADHD. It involved a review and synthesis of literature covering the topic from 9 articles. The article represents level 1 evidence because it involved a systematic review of 9 randomized controlled trials that had similar research questions.
Target audience
The article’s target audience was medical practitioners especially nurses because it offers several guidelines to aid in the treatment of ADHD. The information it provides can help nurses in determining the best psychotherapy modality to treat patients. The article was not based in the USA because the literature samples reviewed involved studies conducted from different countries around the world.
Quality of article
The article was easy to read because the author uses medical terms that are easy to understand. In addition, he explains the terms that are used throughout the article at the beginning. Therefore, the reader does not find any difficulty making connections between different ideas and vocabularies. For example, the author explains what ADHD is and provides a detailed explanation that includes its symptoms and modalities of treatment. Generally, the author uses simple language throughout the article.
Three facts learned from the article
First, I learned that CBT is the most effective psychotherapy modality used to treat ADHD (Chandler, 2013). This is interesting because the disorder had different manifestations among children and adults. In both groups, it is efficacious in the reduction of symptoms such as hyperactivity, increased distractibility, and difficulty sustaining attention (Larimer, 2005). Second, I learned that ADHD can progress from childhood to adulthood and give rise to debilitating effects (Chandler, 2013). In adults, it causes weaknesses in areas such as working memory and planning skills. As a result, victims experiences problems with self-control and self-efficacy. They become easily agitated, engage in reckless behavior, and exhibit low motivation. They find it hard to stick to their plans and pursue their goals until they attain them. Third, I learned that apart from CBT, other psychotherapy interventions are used to treat ADHD (Chandler, 2013). They include support groups, relaxation therapy, and cognitive therapy (Larimer, 2005). These approaches are more effective than using medication only to treat the disorder.
Application to clinical practice
The article can be applied in clinical practice because it offers numerous insights concerning the psychotherapeutic treatment of ADHD in adults. In addition, the author outlines several guidelines that nurses can use in choosing the best treatment approaches for patients. Guidelines such as the importance of patient education and proper comprehension of the disorder can aid nurses in developing efficacious treatment plans. I would recommend this article to other students because as they prepare themselves for the nursing profession, it is important for them to gain knowledge on the treatment of ADHD. Nursing is constantly evolving, and therefore, getting access to up-to-date information is necessary for students and nurses.
Improvement suggestions
This article could have been improved by incorporating studies that involved large samples for more accurate results. In addition, the author could have included larger studies that use blinded independent evaluators for better results. After reading the article, I became curious about the topic because it was not exhaustive and only covered the use of CBT in treating ADHD. In addition, it did not cover other aspects of the disorder thoroughly such as signs and symptoms, prevention, ad management. I would like to conduct further research and find out what other researchers have found out. This article was published in 2013. Therefore, I would like to know about the findings of studies conducted in 2014, 2015, and 2016 regarding the topic.
Conclusion
The article presents an insightful literature review of 9 studies conducted by different researchers to find out whether CBT is more efficacious than other psychotherapies in treating ADHD. The author of the article found out that CBT is the most effective psychotherapy modality used to treat ADHD when compared to other remedies such as relaxation therapy and cognitive therapy. The information contained in the article can be applied in nursing practice to provide the best nursing care to patients with ADHD disorder.
References
Chandler, M. L. (2013). Psychology for Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Comparison with Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 20, 814-820.
Larimer, M. P. (2005). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Research Developments. New York NY: Nova Publishers.