Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Treatment methods and parental perceptions.

摘要

The number of students receiving a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) seems to have steadily increased over recent years. Research (Corkum, Rimer, & Schachar 1999; Johnston, Hommersen, & Seipp, 2008; Pisecco, Huzinec, & Curtis, 2001; Power, Hess & Bennett, 1995; Bennett et al, 1996; Stinnett, Crawford, Gillespie, Cruce, & Langford, 2001; Vereb, & DiPerna, 2004) has evaluated parents and teachers' views regarding the disorder and its varied treatment strategies. Parents' perceptions of treatment methods and acceptability of them may influence whether the interventions are implemented, and consistency in implementation/administration of treatment. To evaluate parental acceptability of ADHD treatments, 206 parents were administered questionnaires evaluating treatment acceptability (Intervention Rating Profile) following the presentation of one of three case vignettes depicting subtypes of ADHD based on DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria. Parents' knowledge about ADHD was evaluated by use of the Knowledge of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Scale, to help determine whether parents who have more or less knowledge about this disorder are more or less likely to accept particular interventions. It was expected that parents would select behavior modification as an acceptable treatment regardless of vignette read. It was also expected that behavior modification would be rated more acceptable than medication overall, but medication more acceptable when the parent reads a vignette about a child demonstrating symptoms of hyperactivity, alone or with inattention, as opposed to inattention alone. Parents rated behavior modification most acceptable, followed by parent training, combined medication and behavior modification, and finally medication alone. These acceptability ratings seem to be independent of the type of vignette participants read. Knowledge of ADHD seemed to have no significant impact on treatment acceptability, although parents who had children with ADHD found medication to be more acceptable than parents without children with ADHD. The amount of time a parent has known their child has a diagnosis of ADHD was found to have no significant impact on acceptance of medication as a treatment method.