Parental Attitudes Toward ADHD Pharmacotherapy: Associations with Parental Experience of the Child’s Treatment—A Cross-Sectional Study from Poland

Background: The efficacy of pharmacotherapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been confirmed in numerous controlled studies. However, in clinical practice, pharmacological treatment is heavily dependent upon the parents or guardians of patients. Parental attitudes are shaped not only by medical knowledge but also by parental beliefs about the use of pharmacotherapy and psychoactive substances, including ADHD pharmacotherapy. Parental beliefs about the safety and possible side effects of pharmacotherapy significantly influence their decision to accept or reject pharmacotherapy. This study aimed to explore parental beliefs and attitudes toward ADHD pharmacotherapy and their association with parental treatment acceptance and treatment-related decision-making. Methods: The cross-sectional online survey included 506 parents of children diagnosed with ADHD, recruited through closed social media groups. Parental treatment acceptance and decisions regarding initiation of pharmacotherapy were examined. Results: Parents of children with experience of pharmacotherapy more frequently considered pharmacotherapy safe (83.4% vs. 39.7%, p < 0.001) and expressed readiness to start treatment immediately (73.8% vs. 32.5%, p < 0.001). In this group, 72.6% of parents indicated that the benefits of pharmacotherapy outweigh potential risks. However, concerns about addiction were similar in both groups (49.4% vs. 45.3%, p = 0.400). In a gendered analysis, fathers were more likely than mothers to consider pharmacotherapy unnecessary for treating ADHD (35.3–22.4%; p = 0.002; V = 0.142) or disbelieve in ADHD treatment (25.7–15.1%; p = 0.005; V = 0.132). Furthermore, fathers were more likely than mothers to support limiting the use of pharmacotherapy for treating ADHD to those over 18 (41.3% vs. 26.5%; p < 0.001; V = 0.156), and to report parental opposition (28% vs. 8.1%; p < 0.001; V = 0.264), with a minimal to moderate effect size. Conclusions: Parental treatment acceptance decisions were associated with more favorable parental beliefs, although subjective concerns about addiction remained. Given the study’s cross-sectional and exploratory nature, causal interpretations should be avoided. Parental gender was associated with differences in beliefs and attitudes toward the use of pharmacotherapy for treating children diagnosed with ADHD, especially regarding necessity, consent and age-specificity. In our surveyed sample, fathers tended to be more restrictive or cautious than mothers. The findings also highlight the importance of psychoeducation and partnership-based communication between clinicians and families as key factors that may help support treatment acceptance-related decision-making in ADHD.