Effectiveness Study of Videoconferencing on Teaching Parent Training Skills to Parents of Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Subjects with a primary diagnosis of ADHD between the ages of 6 and 14 years were enrolled. All subjects were screened and assessed for psychiatric and learning disorders using structured interviews (DICA, parent and child version, Reich et al, 2000) based on DSM IV criteria and parent and teacher rating scales. Mothers took the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to assess for depression.

Parents or primary caregivers were randomized to two treatment arms (videoconference or face to face). Ten sessions of weekly parent training through either videoconference or face-to-face delivery was conducted using Dr. Russell A. Barkley's manual. A non-mandatory skill training and play group was offered to the children of both groups while parents attended the parent training group in order to provide child care for the parents during the training sessions.

Following outcomes will be measured to assess the effectiveness of the intervention:

Primary outcome Acceptance of the parent and children on the mode the communication as well as parent training.

Secondary outcomes:

• Parent-child relations measured by the Parent Child Relationship Questionnaire (PCQ)
• The Vanderbilt Assessment Scale (parent & teacher versions), Children Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), Clinical Global Impression- Severity score (CGI-S), and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scores (CGI-I) assessed the severity of core symptoms of ADHD and oppositional/aggressive symptoms.
• The parent and teacher-rated versions of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) assessed social skills.

Inclusion criteria

• DSM-IV criteria for any subtype of ADHD.
• ADHD must be the primary diagnosis if there is comorbidity.

Exclusion criteria

• Subjects with significant medical conditions, which are not stable on current outpatient treatment regimen.
• Subjects with severe psychiatric disorders (i.e., bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia, major depression).