In this master’s thesis, the author aimed to examine the relationship between symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in primary school children and parental stress. The purpose of the study was to determine whether more pronounced ADHD symptoms in children are associated with higher levels of parental stress, whether the two basic dimensions of ADHD symptomatology, namely inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, are associated with higher levels of parental stress. The author also examined whether the level of parental stress and perceived ADHD symptoms differ according to the child’s sex, the presence of an official ADHD diagnosis, parents’ employment status, and parents’ marital or partnership status.
The study included 254 parents of primary school children. The author used a quantitative, cross-sectional, and non-experimental research design. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. ADHD symptoms in children were assessed with the SNAP-IV questionnaire, while parental stress was measured with the Parental Stress Scale (PSS). The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics.
The results showed a statistically significant positive association between inattention and parental stress, as well as between hyperactivity/impulsivity and parental stress. Differences according to the child’s sex were not statistically significant for parental stress, but statistically significant differences were found for both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, with higher scores reported for boys. Children with an official ADHD diagnosis had significantly higher levels of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity than children without an official diagnosis. However, parents of children with an official ADHD diagnosis did not report statistically significantly higher levels of parental stress than parents of children without an ADHD diagnosis. Parents’ employment status and marital or relationship status were not statistically significantly associated with parental stress or perceived ADHD symptoms.
This master’s thesis shows that ADHD symptoms are not only related to the child’s individual functioning, but also to everyday family life. The findings suggest that work with children with ADHD symptoms should also take into account parents, their level of burden, and the support they need in coping with the child’s difficulties.
|