This study examined parenting stress among parents of adolescents with ADHD. The sample comprised 45 adolescents (26 ADHD; 19 Comparison) age 13 to 18 and their parents. The Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents was completed by both mothers and fathers of participating youth. Parents of adolescents with ADHD reported more stress than parents of adolescents without ADHD. Mothers of adolescents with ADHD experience higher levels of stress in all areas. Fathers of adolescents with ADHD experience more total stress and more stress in the Adolescent and Adolescent-Parent Relationship domains. Maternal inattention and adolescent externalizing behaviour mediated the relationship between ADHD status and maternal parenting stress, and ADHD status and adolescent externalizing behaviour were found to predict paternal parenting stress. The results of this study provide strong support for the need to provide parents of adolescents with ADHD with interventions designed to reduce or help them cope with parenting stress.

Denna uppsats syftar till att belysa hur lärandemiljön påverkar barn i behov av särskilt stöd, i lärandeprocessen. I min frågeställning behandlar jag frågan; stödjer eller motverkar klassrumsmiljön barn med ADHD? I teoriavsnittet använder jag mig av det sociokulturella perspektivet på lärande som utgångspunkt, därför att jag ser en relevans i litteraturen jag använt mig av och de svar informanterna gav vid de genomförda intervjuerna. Det sociokulturella perspektivet anser jag dessutom ligger rätt i tiden eftersom det på många sätt har präglat delar av min utbildningstid. I metodavsnittet har jag använt mig av kvalitativa intervjuer i en fenomenologisk studie, vilket innebär att det inhämtade materialet grundar sig i intervjupersonernas egna tolkningar och erfarenheter av det rådande ämnet. I resultatavsnittet har jag gjort en analys av det insamlade intervjumaterialet. I analysen har jag använt mig av litteratur som ett analysverktyg, för att se likheter och olikheter mellan det insamlade materialet och litteraturen. De slutsatser jag kommit fram till är att det sker förändringar i skolan idag både till det bättre och sämre för barn med ADHD. Att pedagogens förhållningssätt vad det gäller förändringar också är det avgörande, är en annan viktig slutsats. Den främsta slutsatsen man kan dra är ändå att de bristande resurser informanterna upplever kan motverka eleverna, trots allt har sin grund i skolans ekonomi.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2007. / Härtill 3 uppsatser.

Denna studie har haft som syfte att undersöka hur skolkuratorer arbetar med elever som har diagnosen ADHD i två kommuner som skiljer sig åt gällande medicinering av ADHD. I de två kommunerna finns 11 skolkuratorer verksamma och för att få en heltäckande bild av deras arbete valdes metodformen enkät för att bespara tid. Enkäterna var utformade med öppna frågor för att nå det viktigaste i skolkuratorernas arbetsätt och erfarenheter. Svaren har sedan tematiserats och kategoriserats och sedan har en jämförelse mellan kommunerna gjorts. De resultat som framkom var att skolkuratorerna har ett individanpassat arbete där Lidingös skolkuratorer känner mer oro för eleverna när de gäller svårigheterna med arbetet och Nynäshamns skokuratorer upplever det svårt att hålla samtal med elever som har diagnosen ADHD.  Skolkuratorerna samarbetar mycket med annan personal men skiljer sig åt när det gäller andra aktörer. Lidingös kuratorer arbetar mycket med föräldrarna till eleven och kuratorerna i Nynäshamn samarbetar med barn- och ungdomspsykiatrin. Vidare önskar kuratorerna mer tid, fler kuratorer och kompetensutveckling för att kunna utföra sitt arbete på bästa möjliga sätt. Slutsatsen är att diagnosen ADHD inte gör någon skillnad i arbetet utan skolkuratorerna arbetar efter individens problematik - men att i kommunen Lidingö med färre medicinerade elever arbetar skolkuratorerna mer med föräldrarna än i kommunen Nynäshamn med dubbelt så många elever som medicineras.

It has been suggested that adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may reflect affective temperaments, which involve mild manic and/or depressive traits as part of one’s personality. Such innate traits are associated with poor attention. Stimulant medications, given for ADHD, can worsen manic symptoms, thereby worsening attentional symptoms paradoxically, by worsening the underlying mood condition that causes poor attention. This study examines the nature of response to stimulant medication in subjects with affective temperament (Cyclothymia, Hyperthymia, Dysthymia). A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 87 subjects from Tufts Medical Center Mood Disorders Program. Subjects were included if they had ever been prescribed stimulant medications. Prior diagnosis of adult ADHD, or not, also was assessed. This sample was assessed using TEMPS-A scale to measure affective temperaments, and the CGI-I scale to assess clinical change in mood/anxiety and attention/cognition. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and stratification. This study has several limitations. Researchers and subjects were not blinded; all subjects received stimulants, with no non-stimulant control group; and treatment response was assessed retrospectively. Nonetheless, no such data exist in the scientific literature previously, and thus this pilot data adds to our present knowledge. 61% of the sample had an affective temperament (using the strictest definition of 75% or more TEMPS items endorsed). Of these, the most common was cyclothymic (40%) followed by hyperthymic (24%). The main treatment results were that most patients (55%) had no effect on mood/anxiety, but a large number (43%) had worsening mood/anxiety symptoms. 37% had mild or moderate improvement in cognition. Stratified by ADHD diagnosis, stimulant effects were somewhat better with, than without, ADHD diagnosis, for cognition but not for mood/anxiety. In ADHD subjects, 49% had worsening mood and/or anxiety symptoms, while 44% had some improvement in cognition/attention. In non-ADHD subjects, 30% had worsening mood and/or anxiety symptoms, while 30% had some improvement in cognition/attention. In conclusion, we found that most people (61%) treated with amphetamine stimulants identified in a mood specialty clinic were diagnosable with affective temperaments, especially cyclothymia. Amphetamine stimulant worsened mood/anxiety symptoms in about one-half of subjects, and improved cognition symptoms only about one-third subjects. Prior ADHD diagnosis was associated with somewhat improved cognitive, but not mood/anxiety, outcomes. These results suggest that amphetamine stimulant treatment in an affectively ill population may have harmful mood/anxiety effects, and has only partly beneficial cognitive effects.

Research indicates that executive functioning is a multidimensional construct in school-age children (Korkman, Kemp, & Kirk, 2001; Welsh & Pennington, 1988). Executive dysfunction is primarily associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; Barkley, 2003). This association is because of a `core' deficit in inhibitory control found in ADHD-Combined Type (ADHD-C; Barkley, 1997); however, inhibitory control is only one component of executive functioning. Children with dyslexia are thought to demonstrate a `core' deficit in phonological awareness (Wagner & Torgesen, 1987). However, little consideration is given to the potential executive deficits that may exist in children with dyslexia. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to test for convergent and divergent executive functioning deficits in 8-to 12-year-old children with ADHD or dyslexia using a comprehensive battery of executive measures. On neuropsychological measures when intelligence (IQ) was used as a covariate, the ADHD group did not demonstrate divergent deficits while children with dyslexia had deficits in nonverbal fluency. No convergent deficits were found. When IQ was not used as a covariate, children with ADHD and dyslexia were found to have convergent deficits in nonverbal fluency and problem-solving. Furthermore, children with dyslexia had divergent deficits in processing speed and phonological short-term storage. On a behavioral rating measure (BRIEF) children with ADHD-C and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Predominantly Inattentive (ADHD-PI) had convergent deficits in behavioral regulation while children with ADHD-C, ADHD-PI, and dyslexia were all rated more poorly on a metacognitive factor compared to controls. An exploratory analysis was conducted to further understand convergent and divergent abilities on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF). Results indicated that ADHD-C and ADHD-PI shared deficits on the metacognitive subscales, but that ADHD-C demonstrated divergent deficits on subscales of behavioral regulation, particularly Inhibit, and on a Monitor subscale. Children with dyslexia were rated comparably to controls on all subscales of the BRIEF. Overall, it was found that executive deficits were not exclusive to ADHD. Rather, children with ADHD and dyslexia demonstrated convergent and divergent executive functioning deficits. The convergent deficits warrant further investigation as to whether they are a source of the comorbidity between dyslexia and ADHD. The limitations of the present study, recommendations for future directions, and clinical implications are discussed.

The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of thought acceptance and mindfulness on increasing the self-control behavior of children with ADHD. Initially, the researcher will determine the length of time in which each participant can currently tolerate the delay period to consume a preferred food item. Once a stable baseline of wait time is obtained, participants will be asked to select between a small, immediate portion of a food item and a larger, delayed portion of the food item. Following this phase, Self-Control Training will begin. During the Self-Control Training, the researcher will present a large portion of a preferred food item and the participant will be instructed to accept his thoughts about want to eat the food and become mindful of his thoughts and body sensations that he is experiencing while waiting to consume their preferred food item. After completing five training sessions, the experimenter will conduct probes measuring the selection of the small immediate and larger delayed portion as well as the length of time in which each participant can wait to consume the food items. Data collected from these probes will be compared to baseline data in order to determine the effects of accepting thoughts and mindfulness for enhancing self-control behavior. It is expected that participant's ability to tolerate the delay to consume the food item will gradually increase as the researcher continues to implement the Self-Control Training.

The purpose of this study was to shed light on the effects that ADHD symptoms can have on the way individuals assess themselves on six different domains: physical, moral, personal, family, social and academic/work and on their overall self-concept. A total of 136 participants were assessed using two self-ratings questionnaires: Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS-2) and the ADHD screening questionnaire (ADHD-SQ). Mean scores showed positive self-concepts in each individual subscale. A total of 17% of individuals met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD and they were separated into three subgroups: 7,4% Inattentive group, 5,9% Hyperactive/Impulsive group and 3,7% Combined group. Correlational analyses showed significant negative correlation between overall self-concept and both Inattention and Hyperactivity. Independent T-test samples found that participants with high prevalence of ADHD symptoms had significantly lower self-concept scores compared with participants with low prevalence of ADHD symptoms. / Studiens syfte var att belysa effekterna som ADHD-symtom kan ha på hur individer bedömer sig inom sex olika domäner: fysiska, moraliska, personliga, familj, sociala och utbildning/arbete, och på deras övergripande självuppfattning. Totalt 136 deltagare utvärderades med hjälp av två instrument: Tennessee Self Concept Scale: andra upplagan (TSCS-2) och ADHD screeningformuläret (ADHD-SQ). Medelpoängen visade positiva självkoncept i varje enskild underskala. Totalt 17% av deltagarna uppfyllde de diagnostiska kriterierna för ADHD och de delades in i tre undergrupper: 7,4% Ouppmärksam grupp, 5,9% Hyperaktiv / impulsiv grupp och 3,7% kombinerad grupp. Korrelationsanalyser visade signifikanta negativa samband mellan övergripande självuppfattning och både ouppmärksamhet och hyperaktivitet. Oberoende t-test fann att deltagare med hög prevalens av ADHD-symtom hade signifikant lägre självuppfattning jämfört med deltagare med låg prevalens av ADHD-symtom.

The contributions of executive functions to reading comprehension have been well studied in the general population. Additionally, many studies have examined executive functioning in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, few studies have examined the relationship between the three concepts. Hence, this study examined the relationship between executive functions and reading comprehension within the context of ADHD and its symptoms. Data from children with ADHD and controls were obtained from larger, grant-funded studies. Both lab-administered and questionnaire measures were utilized. It was hypothesized that verbal working memory, planning, shift, and proactive interference would contribute to reading comprehension, both in the total sample and in ADHD. Behavioral inhibition was not expected to contribute to the relationship. Results suggest that verbal working memory is related to reading comprehension, both in controls and children with ADHD. However, no other executive functions were related to reading comprehension when controlling for basic reading and language comprehension. These control variables made significant contributions in the analyses, which suggests they are important to consider when examining the relationship between executive functions and reading comprehension. Hence, future research should examine verbal working memory in relation to basic reading and oral language when studying its contribution to reading comprehension.

Denna studie fokuserar på kvinnors upplevelser av att leva med diagnosen ADHD. Tidigare forskning har visat att flickor och kvinnor med ADHD ofta har dolda symtom som gör att de blir förbisedda och utan diagnos under en längre tid, som i sin tur leder till en rad konsekvenser. Fortsättningsvis visar tidigare forskning att det inte forskats om flickor och kvinnor med ADHD i samma omfattning som pojkar och män. Syftet med studien är således att lyssna till kvinnors upplevelser av att leva med diagnosen, särskilt till upplevelser av bemötande i relation till diagnosen under skoltiden och arbetslivet och vilken betydelse det har fått i deras liv. Ytterligare en aspekt som studeras är kvinnors upplevelser av att leva med diagnosen ADHD i relation till kvinnliga könsnormer. Den insamlade empirin består av kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio kvinnliga informanter mellan åldrarna 19–42 år. Materialet analyseras med hjälp av delar av Erving Goffmans stigmateori och Judith Butlers genusteori. Resultatet visar att vad gäller bemötande under skoltiden har kvinnorna blivit bemötta, icke-bemötta eller aktivt icke-bemötta i relation till sin diagnos. Betydelsen av att inte blivit bemött har bland annat resulterat i svårigheter med att klara av studier och i dålig självkänsla. Resultaten visar också att tidigare erfarenheter av bemötande för ens ADHD på arbetsplatser påverkat hur man ställer sig till att berätta om sin diagnos för andra. Studiens resultat har även visat att kärnsymtomen för ADHD utmanat de kvinnliga könsnormerna. Flera upplever symtomförändringar i vuxen ålder, detta har diskuterats som ett möjligt utfall av en könad socialiseringsprocess, “mognadsprocess” eller medicinering. Att vara kvinna med ADHD har också inneburit att de länge varit förbisedda, detta gäller både de som agerat i enlighet med de förväntade könsnormerna såväl som de som haft “vanliga” ADHD-symtom.