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Effectiveness of Clinic-Based Brief Behavioral Intervention (BBI) in Long-term Reduction of ADHD Symptoms Among Preschoolers

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Abstract

Preschoolers commonly experience symptoms of ADHD and disruptive behavior problems. Behavioral parent management training (PMT) is an evidence-based intervention for addressing both ADHD and disruptive behaviors in this population; however, many PMT programs are burdensome in length and have limited data regarding long-term effectiveness for ADHD specific outcomes. This study examined outcomes up to 1 year following completion of a brief behavioral intervention (M = 6.51 sessions) for preschoolers. Participants were children aged 2–6 years with clinically significant disruptive behaviors and their parents. Results demonstrated significant improvements in parent-reported child hyperactivity and inattention from pre-to-post intervention, with sustained improvement at 6 months and 1 year post intervention. Teacher-reported hyperactivity and inattention also showed significant improvements from pre-to-post intervention, which were maintained across time points. These results were also found among a subset of participants with clinically significant ADHD symptoms at baseline. This study highlights the long-term effectiveness of a brief PMT program to address symptoms of ADHD and disruptive behaviors in preschoolers. Findings support the recommendation to offer PMT as a first-line intervention for preschoolers with ADHD symptoms to reduce the need for early intervention with stimulant medication and address comorbid disruptive behaviors.

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  1. Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, 6701 Fannin St. Suite 1630, Houston, TX, USA

    Ashley E. Teasdale, Petra A. Duran & Marni E. Axelrad

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  1. Ashley E. Teasdale
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  2. Petra A. Duran
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  3. Marni E. Axelrad
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AT analyzed the data and wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. PD contributed to development and writing of the manuscript. MA oversaw collection of all data and development of the topic as well as contributed to the writing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Marni E. Axelrad.

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Ashley E. Teasdale, Petra A. Duran, Marni E. Axelrad have not disclosed any competing interests.

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Teasdale, A.E., Duran, P.A. & Axelrad, M.E. Effectiveness of Clinic-Based Brief Behavioral Intervention (BBI) in Long-term Reduction of ADHD Symptoms Among Preschoolers. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 30, 403–414 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-022-09907-3

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