The Impact of Psychopedagogical Intervention on Quality of Life in Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treated with Psychostimulant Medication

Abstract

Several studies have shown that ADHD has a significant negative impact on multiple domains of quality of life of children and adolescents, particularly in terms of behavioral, emotional and psychosocial quality of life. The psychopedagogical intervention can be therapeutic, preventive and promote educational inclusion. Moreover, it aims to address the learning process, how it is developed and how the individual relates himself to learning, both in the cognitive, social and emotional domains. Our purpose was to understand whether the psychopedagogical intervention influences the quality of life of adolescents with ADHD considering their pharmacological plans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a psychopedagogical intervention on quality of life of a sample of adolescents with ADHD taking into account their pharmacological plans (rubifen, ritalin, and concerta). We used quantitative and qualitative assessment measures: the KIDSCREEN-10, to measure the quality of life of these adolescents, and a semi-structured interview to assess the impact of a psychopedagogical intervention in the lives of these adolescents and their parents, respectively. The results showed that psychopedagogical intervention has a positive impact on the quality of life of adolescents with ADHD, as well as in the family dynamics. Due to the demands of school work (homework) and their negative impact on the family dynamics and consequently in the quality of life, the results corroborate the relevance of a psychopedagogical intervention to improve these areas. Thus, it appears that this type of intervention is very useful for adolescents with ADHD.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.