Association of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms of Parents with Parental Attitudes

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the level of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and the attitudes of parents of children diagnosed with ADHD.Methods: According to the Diagnostic and Numerical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV diagnostic criteria, 66 children with an age range of 6-13 were diagnosed with ADHD and their parents who brought them to the interview. A total of 94 parents were included in the study, including both the mother and father of some children diagnosed with ADHD, the mother of some, and the father of some. Parents of the children were evaluated with the "Wender-Utah Rating Scale (WURS)", "Parenting Styles and Dimensions Scale (PSDS-SF)".Results: According to the results of our study; it was found that the permissive subscale scores of PSDS-SF were significantly higher in parents whose WURS scores were above the cut-off value compared to those whose WURS scores were below the cut-off value, and there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of competent and authoritarian subscale scores of PSDS-SF. It was found that there was no significant association between parents' age and educational levels and their parent's attitudes. In addition, comparisons of parents in terms of ADHD symptom level and parental attitudes did not show significant differences between parents in terms of both variables. Conclusion:The results of our study showed that permissive attitudes were significantly higher in parents with high levels of ADHD symptoms. In a clinical approach to children diagnosed with ADHD, it is believed that evaluating the symptoms and attitudes of parents with ADHD and psychoeducation of parents about adult ADHD are important for treatment.