A preliminary research to develop a cognitive behavioral program focused on executive functions for young adults

The primary aim of this study was to develop a Cognitive Behavioural Program focused on executive functions for young adults and to finalize it through a preliminary research. Moreover, it was aimed to improve participants' level of quality of life and to decrease participants' level of hopelessness through the program. Ten young adults (5 women and 5 men) between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, with a diagnosis of ADHD, and who have problems with emotion regulation, time management, planning, organisation, problem solving were the participants. The exclusion criteria for this study was the comorbidity such as Mental Retardation, Learning Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder and Substance Use Disorders. The design of this study is the one group pretest-posttest design. Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scale for Adults (BADDS for Adults), Percieved Quality of Life Scale in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for Adults (PQoLS-ADHD for Adults), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and Personal Information Form were used for the assessment of the participants. The data were analysed by paired sample t test and SPSS 20.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) was used for the analysis. According to the findings, there are significant differences between all of the pre-test and post-test scores except the scores of Psychosocial Adaptation Subscale of PQoLS-ADHD and Organizing and Activating for Work Subscale of BADDS for Adults. The findings were discussed in consideration of the literature.