Predicting Parenting Stress in Families of Children with ADHD: Parent and Contextual Factors

Abstract

We examined parental ADHD symptoms and contextual (parental education, social support, marital status) predictors of parent domain parenting stress (parental distress) as a function of child ADHD symptoms in a sample of 95 parents of 8 to 12 year-old children with and without ADHD. Parents' perceptions of parental distress and social support were inversely-related. Parental ADHD symptomatology was the strongest predictor of parental distress of the variables considered. Models using teacher reports of child ADHD symptomatology and oppositionality differed from ones using parent reports, in that child oppositionality was only predictive of parental distress in the parent-report model. A post-hoc analysis showed that child factors did not predict parental distress over and above parent ADHD symptoms and contextual factors. These results suggest that parental ADHD symptomatology and parenting stress reduction should be considered in development of interventions for families of children with ADHD.

Parenting Stress of Parents of Adolescents with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

“…In addition, parenting stress in the parent domain is associated with maternal ADHD symptoms and low levels of social support (Theule et al 2011). In the present study we investigate two of these potential predictors: adolescent externalizing behavior, a child characteristic, and parent ADHD symptoms, a parent characteristic that is common in samples of parents of children and adolescents with ADHD (see Johnston et al 2012 for review).…”

More than child’s play: the potential benefits of play-based interventions for young children with ADHD

“…It is well known that parenting a child with ADHD can be stressful [13], and compared with mothers of typically developing children, mothers of children with ADHD tend to be more negative in their interactions with their children [14]. Furthermore, in this busy world, there are many competing demands for parents' and children's time; consequently, the amount of time children spend playing (particularly with their parents) has diminished [15].…”

Mothers of Children With ADHD: Does Employment Help?

“…Parents' community resources also have been correlated with nurturing and supportive parenting behavior (Voydanoff & Donnelly, 1998;Waylen & Stewart-Brown, 2010). Parenting stress relates frequently in the ADHD literature to parenting behaviors (Anastopoulos, Guevremont, Shelton, & DuPaul, 1992;Anjum & Malik, 2010;Dix, 1991;Johnston & Mash, 2001;Kazdin & Whitley, 2003). Belsky (1984), in his seminal article on the determinants of parenting, proposed a model in which parenting is directly influenced by individual parent factors (i.e., personality and parents' developmental history), individual child factors (i.e., child characteristics of individuality), and the social context in which the parent-child interactions occur (i.e., marital relations, social networks, and occupational experiences of parents).…”

“…Modesto-Lowe and colleagues (2011) suggested shifting towards a framework of resilience, to help focus research more on the factors (i.e., parenting, child and environmental factors, and pharmacotherapy) that help promote healthy outcomes in ADHD families. Future research also should examine other predictors of parenting behaviors, such as parental stress and child behaviors (Anjum & Malik, 2010).…”