Mothers' stress and behavioral and emotional problems in children with ADHD. Mediation of coping strategies.

The present study compared mothers' stress and the behavioral/emotional problems of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and children with typical development (TD). Furthermore, the relationships among the mothers' stress, the children's behavioral/emotional problems, and the mothers' coping strategies in both groups were identified. The contribution of behavioral/emotional problems to parenting stress in children with ADHD was also studied through mediation effects of the mothers' coping strategies. The parenting stress, coping orientation to problems, and strengths and difficulties questionnaires were administered to 72 mothers of children from 7 to 11 years old: 35 with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD and 37 with typical development. The comparison analyses showed that the mothers' stress and the behavioral/emotional problems of their children were significantly higher in the group with ADHD than in the group without ADHD. Correlation analyses revealed different correlation patterns in the two groups, with behavioral/emotional problems significantly associated with parenting stress and with the disengagement and cognitive reframing coping reported by the mothers of children with ADHD. In addition, the disengagement coping strategy was a significant mediator in the relationship between behavioral/emotional problems and mothers' stress, according to the mediation analysis. The findings illustrate the need to include training in both behavioral strategies and coping strategies in counseling in order to help mothers buffer the impact of stress. This work is supported by the project PSI2016-78109 (AEI/FEDER, UE) and by University of Valencia UV-INV-PREDOC15-265889.

Berenguer C ，Rosello B ，Miranda A 《-》

Mothers' parenting stress is associated with salivary cortisol profiles in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Korpa T ，Pervanidou P ，Angeli E ，Apostolakou F ，Papanikolaou K ，Papassotiriou I ，Chrousos GP ，Kolaitis G ... -  《-》

Indirect effect of ADHD on parenting stress through increased child anxiety and decreased emotional regulatory coping.

Parents of children with ADHD experience significantly more parenting stress in comparison to parents of typically developing children due to the emotional and behavioral difficulties related to ADHD. Additionally, approximately 30% of children with ADHD experience co-occurring anxiety. Parents of children with co-occurring anxiety and ADHD report increased stress due to role restriction and isolation compared to parents of children with ADHD alone. Poor emotional regulatory coping in children with ADHD has been linked to elevated negative affect and irritability, which also contributes to increased stress among parents. The present study examined the direct and indirect associations of child anxiety symptoms and emotional regulatory coping on elevated ADHD symptoms and parenting stress. Participants were 203 children aged 7-12-years-old and their parents. Parents completed a self-report measure of parenting stress and measures of their child's ADHD symptoms, anxiety, and emotional regulatory coping. Additionally, children completed self-report measures of emotional regulatory coping. Model testing indicated that the overall model demonstrated excellent fit to the data. Parameter testing supported an indirect effect of child ADHD symptoms on parenting stress through child anxiety symptoms and an indirect effect of child ADHD symptoms on parenting stress through child emotional regulatory coping. These results suggest that child anxiety and emotion dysregulation in children with ADHD have a negative impact on parental stress. The current study adds to the understanding of the important roles emotional regulatory coping and anxiety play in children with ADHD to contribute to increased parenting stress.

Olczyk AR ，Rosen PJ ，Alacha HF ，Flynn MM ... -  《-》

The role of coping strategies in predicting change in parenting efficacy and depressive symptoms among mothers of adolescents with developmental disabilities.

Parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) face greater caregiving demands than parents of children without DD. There is considerable variability in parents' adjustment to raising a child with DD, however. In line with a strengths-based approach, this study explores coping strategies as potential mechanisms of resilience among mothers of adolescents with DD. This study examines the frequency with which mothers use various coping strategies and the extent to which those strategies moderate the relationship between adolescent behaviour problems and aspects of maternal well-being. Both positive and negative dimensions of well-being are explored, with maternal depressive symptoms and perceived parenting efficacy examined as outcomes cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The present study focuses on 92 mothers and their adolescents with DD. The adolescents had a wide range of diagnoses, all with continuing special needs. Data were collected from mothers through interviews and self-administered questionnaires when their adolescents were aged 15 and aged 18. A structured assessment of the adolescent was completed during home visits at age 15. Mothers reported frequently using strategies of denial and planning but rarely using strategies of mental and behavioural disengagement to cope with recent stressful situations. Adolescent behaviour problems were found to contribute to greater symptoms of depression and lower feelings of parenting efficacy as well as increases in depressive symptoms over time. Mothers of sons, but not daughters, reported increases in parenting efficacy across their child's adolescent period. Above and beyond adolescent factors, several coping strategies emerged as significant predictors of mothers' symptoms of depression and perceived parenting efficacy. Moreover, use of Active Coping/Planning, Positive Reinterpretation/Growth, and Behavioural/Mental Disengagement as coping strategies moderated the impact of adolescent behaviour problems on maternal depressive symptoms. This study extends previous findings by focusing on both positive and negative dimensions of parent well-being during their child's adolescent period. Adolescence can be a stressful time for parents, with typical developmental tasks entailing additional strains for parents of adolescents with DD. The present findings point to several coping strategies that may reduce the impact of challenging behaviours during this period on mothers' symptoms of depression and feelings of parenting efficacy. Certain coping strategies were found to exert a greater impact on maternal well-being for parents of adolescents with higher levels of behaviour problems, suggesting that interventions may benefit from an increased focus on this group of mothers with heightened caregiving demands.

Woodman AC ，Hauser-Cram P 《-》

The association of emotional lability and emotional and behavioral difficulties among children with and without ADHD.

Rosen PJ ，Walerius DM ，Fogleman ND ，Factor PI ... -  《-》