Participation Profile of Children and Youth, Aged 6–14, with and without ADHD, and the Impact of Environmental Factors

Abstract

Background: Children and youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may experience difficulties in participation, but few studies examine their participation and the environmental factors affecting participation. This study explored the participation and the environmental factors of children and youth, with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in the following three settings: home, school, and community. Materials and Methods: Parents of 65 participants aged 6–14 (M = 9.91, SD = 1.87) with and without ADHD completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) questionnaire, which evaluates participation and environmental factors, along with demographic and screening questionnaires. Results: The ADHD group (n = 31) scored significantly lower than the non-ADHD group (n = 34) in “frequency” at home, “involvement”, and overall environmental support in all settings, with parents expressing a greater desire to change their child’s home and community participation. For the ADHD group, a relationship was found between environmental support and involvement in all three settings. Conclusions: The findings demonstrated differences in the participation of children and youth with ADHD across different settings, compared to those without ADHD, and confirmed the effect of environmental factors on participation, especially involvement. It is essential to consider participation measures and environmental factors when designing interventions for children and youth with ADHD.

Poor School-Related Well-Being among Adolescents with Disabilities or ADHD

“…Our study shows that students with disabilities, especially ADHD, were significantly more likely to be truant. This finding is congruent with previous results showing that involvement in school is lower among students having ADHD [ 41 ]. It is likely that negative attitudes towards people with disabilities may play a role in their school satisfaction [ 20 ], thus negatively affecting attendance at school.…”

Parents’ Perceptions: Environments and the Contextual Strategies of Parents to Support the Participation of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder—A Descriptive Population-Based Study from Switzerland

“…“Supports” and “barriers” did not differ considerably across the three settings in our sample, a finding similar to that seen in children and adolescents with non-ASD disabilities (Bakaniene & Prasauskiene, 2020 ; Coster et al, 2011 ; Shabat et al, 2021 ). However, it is pointed to particularities at the home and the community setting:…”

The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with ADHD in terms of participation, support, and barriers at home

“…Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model, participation is defined as involvement in life situations and it has been highlighted that the role of participation as well as the role of context depends on personal characteristics and living environments ( World Health Organization, 2001 ). To the best of our knowledge, only one previous study has examined children with ADHD in respect of participation in all settings, including home, school, and community ( Shabat et al, 2021 ). It has been reported that children with ADHD are less involved in activities at home, school, and in community settings than children without ADHD, with a lower frequency of participation at home ( Shabat et al, 2021 ).…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, only one previous study has examined children with ADHD in respect of participation in all settings, including home, school, and community ( Shabat et al, 2021 ). It has been reported that children with ADHD are less involved in activities at home, school, and in community settings than children without ADHD, with a lower frequency of participation at home ( Shabat et al, 2021 ). However, there is still a substantial gap in knowledge regarding the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on home participation in children and adolescents with ADHD.…”