Comparison of the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy and emotional regulation on the symptoms of attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder and anxiety in female adolescents with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder

This study aimed to compare the effect of dialectical behavior therapy and emotional regulation on the symptoms of attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder and anxiety in adolescents with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder. The statistical population of the study included all-female high school students in Tehran in the academic year 2019-2020. Using a purposive sampling method, 45 of them were selected and randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group (15 students in each group). To collect data , the Connors, Erhardt & Sparrow (1999) Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms Questionnaire and Anxiety Questionnaire of Bimaher (1997)  were used. The research method was semi experimental with pre-test, post-test design, and follow-up with the control group. The experimental groups underwent dialectical behavior therapy (12 sessions of 60 minutes) and emotional regulation (8 sessions of 45 minutes). The follow-up was inducted after a month period. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. The results showed that both dialectical behavior therapy and emotional regulation were effective in reducing the symptoms of attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder and students' anxiety (p<0.01). Also, the results of the analysis of covariance indicated that dialectical behavior therapy had a greater effect on reducing symptoms than emotional regulation. Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder and Student Anxiety Improvement (p<0.05).