Parenting Stress, Parenting Practices: Relation to ADHD Symptom Profile and Associated Behavioural Problems

Abstract

ver the years, many researchers have studied and described the constellation of symptoms of ADHD and its effects on several areas of the child’s life and on the family. This has enhanced the need to address the families of these children and specifically the parent–child relationship, as ADHD symptoms, and the behavioural problems associated with it, may influence the psychological functioning of parents, thus having a negative impact on the parent–child relationship. Parental behaviour is, perhaps, the most influential factor in terms of the development of externalizing and internalizing behaviours of the child. However, parenting behaviour is also influenced by the child behaviour, child psychopathology and parenting stress resulting from either child or parent characteristics. Parenting stress is defined as a set of process that leads to aversive psychological and physiological reactions arising from attempts to adapt to the demands of parenthood. It is commonly measured in terms of the multidimensional constructs of parent–child interaction (the children’s influence on parents) and parental emotions (the characteristics of parents themselves). Parenting stress is a main influence on parental practices. Research has shown that parents of children with ADHD report more stress than comparison parents, and it is mostly related to the child’s characteristics.