Lecture room: Árnagarður – 101. Click for a map.
Working institution
Margret Gisladottir RN, PhD Landspitali University Hospital, Iceland
Abstract
The developmentally inappropriate symptoms of adolescents with an ADHD may result in a chronic and pervasive pattern of impairment in school, social activity, and daily functioning. Consequently parents are faced with demanding responsibilities that can affect their distress level and the support they can give to their adolescent, which, in turn, may impact negative behavior in their adolescent. Psycho-educational groups for parents have been found to improve the parents’ skills and confidence and decrease patient´s defiant behavior and conflict among family members.
An educational and therapeutic intervention was developed and evaluated for parents of adolescents with an ADHD. The purpose of the intervention was to improve parents’ capabilities to enhance outcomes, both for themselves and their daughter/son with an ADHD. The intervention was provided in group and individual parent sessions.
A Family Assessment and Intervention model and an Illness Beliefs Model were used as theoretical frameworks. The intervention provided educational information and therapeutic intervention on difficult feelings, behaviors, and helpful coping strategies. The study employed a quasi-experimental design, involving parents of individuals aged 13-17 years with an ADHD. The effectiveness of the TCI was measured by family support, illness beliefs, quality of life, general well-being, family functioning, and parental coping. Measurements were conducted pre- and post intervention and at follow-up.
A repeated-measures ANOVA and paired t-tests were used to assess the study’s outcomes. Significant improvements were found in the primary caregivers´ quality of life, post intervention and at follow-up. Secondary caregivers´ social functioning was also significantly better at follow-up.