Almost 9% of Canadians have ADHD. However, it is likely higher as more girls and women are being diagnosed. Up to 50% of youth with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder, which makes their ADHD challenges worse and impacts their ability to function in daily life.

Adapted cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) approaches, such as Facing Your Fears, reduce anxiety and improve the quality of life in youth with other neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism. So far, we don’t know much about whether CBT-based interventions work for youth with ADHD and anxiety or if there are extra benefits to using versions of CBT that are adapted for people with ADHD.

Since 2019, our multi-disciplinary team has worked to adapt, implement, and evaluate Facing Your Fears for ADHD (FYF-ADHD), which has shown that FYF-ADHD has some benefits to improve anxiety symptoms and quality of life; however, we need to see if it works for more youth with ADHD, as well as understand what is required to implement FYF-ADHD outside healthcare clinics. The purpose of our study is to expand FYF-ADHD to make sure it works, as well as to find out whether community agencies can provide FYF-ADHD effectively and efficiently for more families.

 

Award

  • Brain Canada: $200,000

 

Partners

  • Kids Brain Health Network
  • University of Calgary
  • Azrieli Foundation
  • One Child Every Child, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute
  • Alberta Health Services

 

Team

  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Carly McMorris
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Kara Murias
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Judy Reaven
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Alan McLuckie
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Emma Climie
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Tasmia Hai
  • Co-Investigator: Dr. Jessica Brian
  • Co-Applicant: Stephanie Howe
  • Co-Applicant: Stephanie Andreasen
  • Collaborator: Dr. Kelley Drummond
  • Collaborator: Tom Mogan
  • Partner: Ms. Robyn Land