Adults With ADHD

In this video program, Dr. Ramsay demonstrates and discusses his treatment approach for adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy interventions designed to foster effective coping strategies and other behavioral steps that improve functioning outside therapy.

In this video, Dr. Ramsay works with a young man whose frustrations in life often trigger feelings of anger. The therapy demonstration includes a specific example of a coping difficulty in which a client needs to disentangle different facets of the problems he is dealing with. The role of thoughts and beliefs are emphasized to help the client see their influence and develop alternative outlooks to facilitate implementation of anger management strategies and build a sense of efficacy.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) modified for adult ADHD has emerged as an evidence-supported psychosocial treatment. Ultimately, the goal of CBT is to promote the consistent use of known effective coping strategies for managing ADHD but adapted for clients whose central problems are with poor follow-through on such strategies and other intentions.

Behavioral interventions predominate in the form of coping strategies and tools designed to improve functioning and well-being, which are the ultimate outcome measures of psychosocial treatment for adult ADHD. The cognitive domain of interventions within CBT — addressing problematic thoughts and beliefs associated with these strategies and handling various life roles, endeavors, and situations — represents an essential ligament between intentions and actions.

Thus, these thoughts and beliefs must be adequately and directly addressed to improve overall well-being and correspondingly the self-esteem of adults with ADHD.

J. Russell ("Russ") Ramsay, PhD, is cofounder and codirector of the University of Pennsylvania's Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program and an associate professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry in the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.

He has written four books, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD (1st and 2nd eds.), The Adult ADHD Tool Kit, and Nonmedication Treatments for Adult ADHD, and is working on his fifth, Thinking Through Adult ADHD.

Dr. Ramsay has also published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, research abstracts, and book chapters on issues related to adult ADHD. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Attention Disorders, and is on the Professional Advisory Boards of ADDA, CHADD, and Totally ADD, the Board of Directors of APSARD, and the scientific advisory board of Additude Magazine.

Dr. Ramsay is past winner of the Szuba award for excellence in clinical teaching and research at Penn and is a member of the CHADD Hall of Fame.

• Knouse, L. E. (2015). Cognitive-behavioral therapies for ADHD. In R. A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis & treatment (4th ed.) (pp. 757–773). New York: Guilford.
• Knouse, L. E., Mitchell, J. T., Kimbrel, N. A., & Anastopoulos, A. D. (2017). Development and evaluation of the ADHD cognitions scale for adults. Journal of Attention Disorders, online ahead of print. doi: 10.1177/1087054717707580
• Ramsay, J. R. (2016). "Turning intentions into actions:" CBT for adult ADHD focused on implementation. Clinical Case Studies, 15, 179–197. doi: 10.1177/1534650115611483
• Ramsay, J. R. (2017). The relevance of cognitive distortions in the psychosocial treatment of adult ADHD. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48, 62–69. doi: 10.1037/pro0000101
• Ramsay, J. R. (in preparation). Thinking through adult ADHD: The role of thoughts and beliefs. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
• Ramsay, J. R., & Rostain, A. L. (2015a). The adult ADHD tool kit: Using CBT to facilitate coping inside and out. New York: Routledge.
• Ramsay, J. R., & Rostain, A. L. (2015b). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adult ADHD: An integrative psychosocial and medical approach (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
• Ramsay, J. R., & Rostain, A. L. (2016). Adult ADHD as an implementation problem: Clinical significance, underlying mechanisms, and psychosocial treatment. Practice Innovations, 1, 36–52. doi: 10.1037/pri0000016
• Safren, S. A., Sprich, S., Perlman, C. A., & Otto, M. W. (2017). Mastering your adult ADHD: A cognitive-behavioral treatment program – Therapist guide (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Solanto, M. V. (2011). Cognitive behavioral therapy for adult ADHD: Targeting executive dysfunction. New York: Guilford.

APA Videos

• Adult ADHD
  Abigail Levrini and Frances Prevatt
• Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder
  R. Reid Wilson
• Treating Adolescents With ADHD
  Robert J. Resnick
• Working With Children With ADHD
  Vincent Monastra

APA Books

• Impulsivity: The Behavioral and Neurological Science of Discounting
  Gregory J. Madden and Warren K. Bickel
• Neuropsychological Assessment and Intervention for Youth: An Evidence-Based Approach to Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
  Linda A. Reddy, Adam S. Weissman, and James B. Hale
• Nonmedication Treatments for Adult ADHD: Evaluating Impact on Daily Functioning and Well-Being
  J. Russell Ramsay
• Young Children With ADHD: Early Identification and Intervention
  George J. DuPaul and Lee Kern