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Predicting Parenting Stress in Families of Children with ADHD: Parent and Contextual Factors

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Abstract

We examined parental ADHD symptoms and contextual (parental education, social support, marital status) predictors of parent domain parenting stress (parental distress) as a function of child ADHD symptoms in a sample of 95 parents of 8 to 12 year-old children with and without ADHD. Parents’ perceptions of parental distress and social support were inversely-related. Parental ADHD symptomatology was the strongest predictor of parental distress of the variables considered. Models using teacher reports of child ADHD symptomatology and oppositionality differed from ones using parent reports, in that child oppositionality was only predictive of parental distress in the parent-report model. A post-hoc analysis showed that child factors did not predict parental distress over and above parent ADHD symptoms and contextual factors. These results suggest that parental ADHD symptomatology and parenting stress reduction should be considered in development of interventions for families of children with ADHD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Jennifer Theule

  2. Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M5S 1V6, Canada

    Judith Wiener

  3. The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Maria A. Rogers

  4. Toronto District School Board, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Imola Marton

Authors
  1. Jennifer Theule
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  2. Judith Wiener
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  3. Maria A. Rogers
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  4. Imola Marton
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Correspondence to Judith Wiener.

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Theule, J., Wiener, J., Rogers, M.A. et al. Predicting Parenting Stress in Families of Children with ADHD: Parent and Contextual Factors. J Child Fam Stud 20, 640–647 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9439-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9439-7

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