Being a parent of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between stress and anxiety levels of parents of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and parent–child behaviors. METHODS: The study was conducted with parents (n=181) of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder who were followed up in the Child Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of a tertiary hospital in Turkey. Ethics committee approval and institutional permissions were obtained, and data were collected using the Questionnaire Form, Conner's Parent Rating Scale, Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and State Anxiety Inventory. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and linear regression analyses were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the parents who participated in the study, 86.2% were mothers of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The mean scores of the Conner's Parent Rating Scale, Alabama positive and negative parental attitudes, and the State Anxiety Inventory were 42.44±17.12, 69.92±7.27, ±37.22±9.23, and 38.29±8.33, respectively. There was a significant positive relationship at a moderate level between the mean scores of the parents’ State Anxiety Inventory, a significant positive relationship at a weak level between the mean scores of the parents’ negative parenting behaviors and Conner's Parent Rating Scale, and a significant negative relationship at a weak level with the mean scores of the parents’ positive parenting behaviors (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, it was found that anxiety of parents of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder was associated with perceived stress, negative parenting behaviors, and behavioral problems of children.