Node-Link Mapping in Individual Counseling: Treatment Impact on Clients with ADHD-Related Behaviors

Abstract

Three types of individual drug abuse counseling were investigated in a private methadone clinic in order to replicate and extend previous work on node-link mapping techniques (two dimensional graphic approaches for visualizing problems and solutions). Standard counseling, enhanced counseling with free-form maps (f-maps), and enhanced counseling with both f-maps and guide-maps (g-maps) were compared at six and 12 months of treatment. Also assessed were differential effects of these counseling conditions on clients with low and high levels of behaviors related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; low-problem versus high-problem clients). Dependent variables included the number of scheduled sessions attended per month, counselor ratings of session characteristics (e.g., powerful, valuable), client psychological status ratings (i.e., self-esteem, depression, and anxiety) and treatment retention (i.e., the number of months clients remained in treatment). Findings replicate and extend prior work indicating the positive impact of using node-link maps in individual drug abuse counseling. Particular benefits were found for clients with high levels of ADHD-related problems.

Effectiveness of a Theoretically-Based Judgment and Decision Making Intervention for Adolescents

“…Consequently, a counselor may use maps individually or in groups to stimulate discussion, clarify and organize thinking, and to increase memory for what has been covered. Mapping (included in the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices; NREPP) is particularly effective for clients with lower cognitive functioning (see Czuchry & Dansereau, 2004) and improves the psychological status of ADHD-problem clients (Newbern, Dansereau, Czuchry, & Simpson, 2005). …”

“…TRIP components have been shown effective at facilitating attention in older males within general and substance-using populations (Czuchry, Dansereau, Dees, & Simpson, 1995; Dansereau, Joe, & Simpson, 1995; Newbern et al, 2005) and may prove useful for any adolescent with decision making deficits. Prior work with adolescents in residential substance use treatment suggests that females enter treatment with poorer decision making and premeditation skills compared to their male counterparts (Knight, Becan, Landrum, Joe, & Flynn, in press).…”

The Effectiveness of the Treatment Readiness and Induction Program (TRIP) for Improving During-Treatment Outcomes

“…TCU Mapping Enhanced Counseling forms the core and serves to focus attention, facilitate communication, and visually illustrate concepts and ideas for better decision making (Dansereau & Simpson, 2009). Mapping is particularly effective for clients with attentional problems or lower cognitive functioning (Czuchry & Dansereau, 2004; Newbern, Dansereau, Czuchry, & Simpson, 2005) and leads to a more engaging counseling approach, especially when included with interactive games and peer mentoring (Czuchry, Sia, & Dansereau, 2006; Czuchry, Sia, Dansereau, & Dees, 1997). The intervention incorporates the use of guide maps or analytically created schemas that provide a structure for thinking through complex problems.…”

Integration of treatment innovation planning and implementation: Strategic process models and organizational challenges.

“…It facilitates communication, memory, and problem-solving during counseling sessions, and also helps document progress both within and across sessions (see Dansereau, 2005, for a review). Mapping approaches have been shown to help clients and counselors examine treatment-related issues (Dansereau & Dees, 2002; Newbern, Dansereau, Czuchry, & Simpson, 2005), and they have been incorporated into a series of effective modular interventions that cover specific counseling topics such as motivation and communication (Bartholomew, Hiller, Knight, Nucatola, & Simpson, 2000). …”