Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Iowa, 2006. / Supervisor: James A. Hall. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-110).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xviii, 251 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-157). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2001. / Title from title page screen, viewed April 6, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Steven Landau (chair), David F. Patton Barone, Thomas Critchfield, Laura A. Berk, Brian Wilkinson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-96) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007. / Title from PDF title page screen. Advisor: Arthur D. Anastopoulos; submitted to the Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references (p. 41-50).

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on May 25, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

Objectives: Available studies largely and consistently indicate that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience significantly impaired quality of life (QoL). More research is required to enable an enhanced understanding of factors which contribute to the QoL of children with this diagnosis. In relation to children with ADHD, this thesis had two main aims: to review the extent to which children and their parents agree in their assessments of the child’s QoL; and to examine the impact of parent stress on the child’s QoL from both parent and child perspectives. Method: A systematic review of studies reporting matched parent-proxy reported and child self-reported quantitative QoL measures is described in journal article 1. Journal article 2 presents the findings from a cross-sectional, quantitative study involving a matched sample of 45 children with a diagnosis of ADHD, and their parents. Correlation and multiple regression analyses examine the relationship between parent stress and each of the informants’ ratings of the child’s QoL. Results: The findings of the systematic review indicated that in a clear majority of studies, children rated their QoL more highly than their parents. However, cautious interpretation is required as some of the studies were of poor methodological quality. In the empirical study, parent stress emerged as a significant predictor of parent proxy-ratings of child QoL, but not of self-rated QoL. Parents who rated their child’s QoL lower that their children had higher perceived stress than parents who rated their child’s QoL higher than their children. There were no significant differences in self-rated or parent-rated QoL between children with ADHD and children with a learning disability or with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. In line with some previous research, agreement was poorer on psychosocial domains than physical domains. However, due to the relatively small sample size, the empirical study requires replication. Conclusions: The results of the systematic review suggest that parent and child ratings of the child’s QoL are not interchangeable in the context of ADHD. Possible explanations for this trend are discussed. The empirical study suggests that parent stress negatively impacts on children with ADHD, and that it is likely that children’s self-reports are affected by their impaired reflective capacity. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed in relation to both articles.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a commonly occurring neurodevelopmental disorder in children, affecting 3-7% of children (APA, 2000). Despite the high prevalence of ADHD, conceptualization of its subtypes, ADHD-PI and ADHD-C, remains under debate. One method of describing psychopathology is through the use of personality traits. The current study evaluated relationships between ADHD subtypes, ADHD symptoms, and the Big Five in 83 children between 8 and 12 years of age. Children with ADHD were consistently rated as having lower Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness than children without ADHD. Additionally, children with ADHD-PI had the lowest Openness, and children with ADHD-C had the lowest Conscientiousness, although these results differed by rater. When evaluating the symptom domains of ADHD, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Instability were associated with H/I, whereas only Conscientiousness was associated with inattention. Hyperactivity, specifically, was related to Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Instability, whereas impulsivity was related to Conscientiousness and Emotional Instability only. Last, connections between the Emotional Regulation, Emotional Instability, and H/I are discussed. Implications regarding the use of personality measures to describe psychopathology in childhood are discussed, as are the challenges of using multiple raters in clinical populations.