A comparison of perception of ADHD among diagnosed children and their parents

Abstract

Although research on youngsters’ and parents’ experience of ADHD has grown in recent years, little is known about their subjective perception of ADHD as a disorder. Previous studies on subjective perceptions of individuals with ADHD have examined only one or two facets of such perceptions simultaneously. However, theories of illness perception suggest that such perception consists of at least five constructs (see the Common-Sense Model of Illness Representations or CSM; Leventhal et al., 1997, 1984). The present thesis sought to address this research gap by applying CSM in the context of ADHD. The thesis aimed to 1)obtain a comprehensive understanding of perception of ADHD among diagnosed youngsters and their parents, 2)examine the predictive ability of the perceptions on their coping and emotional well-being, 3)compare parents- and offspring perceptions, and 4)examine the predictive ability of discrepant perception on their coping and emotional well-being. The systematic review of literature shows that disproportional research attention has been paid to the perceived effectiveness of treatment compared to other illness beliefs. The empirical study utilizing cross-sectional design included 61 dyads of adolescents with ADHD (10 to 18 years) and their parents, who were recruited from clinic, support groups and educational consultancy. Findings show that several illness beliefs (e.g., coherence, timeline), which have been under-researched, are predictors of adolescents’ coping. Adolescents see ADHD as less threatening and less biologically based than parents. Several discrepant illness beliefs (e.g., timeline, cause) seem to predict adolescents’ coping and quality of life. Different perceptions of impact were related to parents’ elevated stress. Overall, the present study provided initial evidence for the utility of CSM in youngsters of ADHD and their parents that may have significant implications for psycho-education, clinical practice and ongoing research.