Parents of Children With ADHD Face Serious Stress, Study Shows

Filed under: In The News, Special Needs, Research Reveals: Big Kids

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There's no doubt ADHD is tough on the children who suffer from the disorder, but it's really hard on parents, too.

LiveScience reports a recent study published in the Journal of Family Psychology finds parents of kids with ADHD are especially sensitive to the behavior of their children, which can take an emotional toll.

"If you think about what it's like to parent a child with ADHD, it requires a kind of constant vigilance, a high level of energy," Candice Odgers, study researcher and psychologist at the University of California, Irvine tells LiveScience. "This is important, because we know that stress and the burden of caregiving in general are associated with a whole host of problems, mental health and physical problems."

Adding to the issue are state budget cuts that prevent parents from much-needed school resources, according to the website, which adds parents of children with ADHD also face higher divorce rates and stress levels, as well as less confidence in their own competence.

Odgers tells LiveScience the study's results point to a need for the entire family to be considered when a child with ADHD is treated.

"There are these really important links between children's behavior and Mom's mood and levels of stress," she tells the website. "We know from a lot of other research that mom's mental health is a very, very strong predictor of her parenting style."

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