Moms Managing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Study

Supporting Expectant Mothers With ADHD Through the Transition to Parenthood

The study will develop and test a behavioral program for pregnant individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This behavioral program will include skills for managing ADHD and related symptoms during pregnancy and after delivery and will be taught by a behavioral therapist in OB care settings.

Treating pregnant individuals with ADHD may improve parent and child wellbeing, parent-child interactions, and psychosocial familial factors to enhance family resilience and reduce prevalence/severity of child mental health disorders. Using the information provided from stakeholder interviews and adaptations of an existing CBT intervention for parents of children with ADHD, the current study will develop the MomMA (Moms Managing ADHD) intervention and implement it via an open clinical trial (n=10 pregnant individuals), delivered by masters-level women's health behavioral therapists. Investigators will examine treatment acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness, as well as implementation factors (fidelity, adherence, facilitators/barriers) and qualitative data (e.g., feedback interviews). In addition, quantitative data (self-reported symptoms, parenting, and home environment measures; observed parent and child behavior; parent reported child temperament/behavior) will be used to assess parent and child outcomes following the intervention. This mixed-methods model will offer a comprehensive examination of the MomMA intervention and inform a refined intervention model.

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) meet full DSM-5 criteria for ADHD
• (2) are between 20- and 32-weeks of gestation
• (3) speak English
• (4) will deliver at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Magee Women's Hospital (MWH)

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) active substance use disorder
• (2) intellectual disability
• (3) other severe mental illness, including bipolar disorder, psychosis, and major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation or requiring higher level of care (inpatient or partial/intensive outpatient)
• (4) high risk pregnancies requiring transfer of care to Maternal-Fetal Medicine (e.g., maternal cancer, multiples, placenta accreta) and/or fetus known to have a severe congenital condition.