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Maternal Emotions and Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Relation to Boys and Girls with AD/HD

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Abstract

This study examined the impact of child gender on mothers’ emotional responses to AD/HD, self-efficacy beliefs and perceived severity of AD/HD. Mothers (N = 118) of pre-schoolers were presented with a vignette describing a typical boy or girl with AD/HD and then completed three scales relating to their emotional response to AD/HD behaviour, their sense of parenting efficacy and their attributions about the severity of problems described. AD/HD behaviour elicited negative emotions and maternal self-efficacy was low, especially for male AD/HD. Perceived severity of the behaviour was negatively correlated with maternal sense of self-efficacy. These findings suggest that mothers of “normal” children have fixed negative emotions and low sense of self-efficacy towards a child with AD/HD and that these factors are key elements for change in the implementation of a therapeutic programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southampton, UK

    Katerina Maniadaki PhD & Edmund Sonuga-Barke PhD

  2. Technological Educational Institution of Athens, Greece

    Efthymios Kakouros PhD

  3. Psychological Center of Developmental and Learning Disabilities“ARSI”, Greece

    Rania Karaba MSc

  4. Dr.Katerina Maniadaki, 52 Karatasou str., 136 76, Thrakomakedones, Athens, Greece

    Katerina Maniadaki PhD

Authors
  1. Katerina Maniadaki PhD
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  2. Edmund Sonuga-Barke PhD
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  3. Efthymios Kakouros PhD
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  4. Rania Karaba MSc
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Correspondence to Katerina Maniadaki PhD.

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Maniadaki, K., Sonuga-Barke, E., Kakouros, E. et al. Maternal Emotions and Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Relation to Boys and Girls with AD/HD. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 35, 245–263 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-004-6460-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-004-6460-3

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