This study aimed to explore the influence of adult attachment on relationship quality in parents of children with ADHD. A mixed methods design was used to address the research objectives. Study One (quantitative) explored the different pressures that having a child with ADHD places on parents with different attachment styles, and how the parents differ in their way of responding to such pressures based on their attachment styles. Two hundred and fifty four participants were employed: 101 parents of children with ADHD, and 153 parents of children without ADHD. Four established questionnaires were used: Connors Parental rating Scale (CPRS), Communication Pattern Questionnaire (CPQ), Experience in Close Relationship (ECR), and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). The results showed that parents of children with ADHD reported greater marital conflict and worse dyadic adjustment than parents of children without ADHD. Moreover, behavioural problems in children with ADHD correlated negatively with interpersonal relationship in the parental couple. Finally, attachment style moderated the impact of ADHD symptoms on interpersonal problems in the couple. On the other hand, Study Two (qualitative) explored parents’ experiences of how the disorganised behaviour of children with ADHD or the normal naughtiness of children without ADHD had an impact on the relationship. The differences between parents with children with and without ADHD with regard to their attachment styles were also studied. Forty eight participants extracted from the Study One were participated in this Study Two. The results through the thematic analyses indicated that parents of children with ADHD experienced the stress related to their children’s condition which was negatively affected their couple relationship. Not only that, the parents with different attachment styles experienced differently in both group. In considering both studies, the qualitative themes may explain how attachment insecurity moderates the impact of having a child with ADHD on relationship variables. The theme may be particularly important, as it may have a negative influence on the interpersonal communication of the parents with insecurity attachment. It is proposed that this research can make a contribution towards relevant intervention programs to facilitate support for parents of children with ADHD.

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published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Doctor of Medicine

The purpose of this essay is to explore how I can meet children with different kinds of attention deficit disorders. What can I do when the child kicks me and makes me cry? How can I handle it right so that the child and I can feel good? In my text I am writing about how I can prioritize my way when I am angry. I wonder how to prioritize my feelings and feel safe with the other person. I am developing these questions in my text. My method is to reflect and question the knowledge I acquired during my work at the school. In the text I use literatures to the problem and have a short discussion with an old pedagogue. I am discussing myself when I meet the troublesome child and how I can deal with my own emotions. In the hard situation I have to look at the problem. I can’t see the bigger picture in this situation. For a good situation we need a solution and need to meet the child professionally with our own wise choices. I have not found a solution and I need to learn how I can handle my own emotions at work and what skills I need to learn when I get angry in a difficult situation.

Aim: To explore parents’ experiences when caring for a child with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The coping mechanisms employed by the parents in such a situation were also investigated. Objectives: To gain an understanding of the parents’ experiences when their child has ADHD. The factors affecting these experiences include dealing with their child’s behaviours, receiving an ADHD diagnosis, deciding on treatment and coping resources. Research Design: Through a qualitative, phenomenological approach, this study is characterized by an interpretative style with the aim of facilitating an in-depth exploration of the participants’ experiences. Subjects: A non-probability, purposive sample was used. The sample consisted of 12 parents. The only requirements for the sample were: 1. The participant must be the primary caretaker of a child who has been diagnosed with ADHD and is being treated for ADHD. 2. The participant’s child must be 18 years old or younger. Data Collection: Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were used as an instrument for collecting the required data and were devised in order to appropriately address the objectives of this study. Data Analysis: The transcripts were analyzed thematically using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in order to identify relevant and common parental experiences. Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Theory of Stress (TTS) and Coping was utilized as a conceptual framework to help make sense of the emergent themes. Results: Participants in the present study displayed increased levels of stress and frustration when caring for a child with ADHD. The child’s difficult behaviours frequently induced a sense of incompetence in the parents and a desire to use physical punishment on the child. The participants employed various methods of coping in order to adapt to their child’s disorder. Such efforts included modifying daily routines and utilizing social support. Most of these coping efforts helped to diminish stress and anxiety and improved parent-child relationships. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban,2009.

This thesis used the electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure the electrophysiological correlates of auditory distraction. Chapter One determined that relative to broad-band noise, the presence of a continuous speech signal impaired task performance, attenuated the N1 peak and reduced theta/alpha band inter-trial phase coherence around the latency of the N1. Chapter Two found that reductions of inter-trial phase coherence during distraction were related to both disruptions of gain and the temporal fidelity of evoked responses. Chapter Three found that postsecondary adults with ADHD are not characterized by greater levels of distraction and that this population may be responding to sensory events with abnormally high phase locking. Chapter Three also found that Un-medicated ADHD adults had significantly more N1 latency, theta/alpha band evoked power than Medicated ADHD or Control groups. These results extend the literature on distraction by using time-frequency measures to assess how distraction modulates early sensory processing of stimulus events. / xxii, 171 p. : col. ill. ; 29 cm

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common psychiatric disorder affecting 5-10% of child and 4% of the adult population. The disorder involves both behavioural problems and cognitive deficits, which are believed to be associated with neurological differences seen in this population. There has been increasing interest in understanding the cognitive deficits and neurological basis associated with ADHD. Neuropsychological examinations are an affordable tool, which can be used to improve our understanding of the cognitive deficits associated with the disorder and aid in clinical care. Currently, there is no standardized neuropsychological assessment that can be used in this population. In order to assist in developing a sound, predominately computerized test battery, which would assess deficits commonly seen in adults with ADHD, a neuropsychological project was piloted to examine recruitment and test utility. The majority of the tests were computerized and had population norms. The test battery was piloted on 8 patients on and off medication, and 4 patients completed the test battery twice off medication to examine potential practice effects. A discussion of feasibility and utility of the neuropsychological test battery for adults with ADHD ensues.

Children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder differ on neuropsychological tasks and measures of eye movement control. M.Sc. Thesis, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, January 2010. Background: Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) accounts for the majority of diagnoses associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Unfortunately, ARND frequently poses a significant clinical challenge as these patients lack the visible physical characteristics associated with alcohol teratogenicity. Moreover, the cognitive and behavioural disabilities are complex and overlap with those of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, co-morbid ADHD is prevalent in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. While early and accurate diagnosis provides the best prognosis for those affected, there is a lack of tools for differential diagnosis between these two disorders. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that children with ARND exhibit different performance from children with ADHD on computer-based neuropsychological tests and eye movement tasks. Methods: Our study group was composed of 42 children with ARND and 31 children with ADHD aged 8-15 years, male and female. Children completed four tasks selected from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB®) that provided measures of attention, planning, strategy and spatial working memory. Subjects also performed pro- and anti-saccade tasks, and eye movements were recorded using a mobile eye-tracking system. Results: Children with ARND demonstrated elevated decision times on a visual matching test of attention and longer response times on a task of spatial working memory, although the two groups had similar errors scores. Also, compared to children with ADHD, children with ARND had greater anticipatory errors in both the pro- and anti-saccade tasks. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that there are measurable differences in executive function and eye movement control between children with ARND or ADHD. Greater deficits in visuospatial processing in ARND may underlie these differences. These findings demonstrate that the neurobehavioural phenotypes of children with ARND or ADHD have distinct features, which may be accounted for by differences in the patterns of brain injury underlying these two disorders. / Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-01-15 15:15:47.738

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the associations between sleep problems, sleep hygiene and ADHD symptoms in young adults. The first chapter of this dissertation provides an overview of ADHD in adulthood, and a review of the literature that has associated ADHD and sleep problems. This chapter also highlights the need to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess sleep hygiene. The second chapter presents a manuscript which outlines the development of a new self-report measure of sleep hygiene in young adults. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop two sleep hygiene scales (substance abuse and poor sleep scheduling) and overall results indicated that the new instrument has sound psychometric properties, as well as good construct and convergent validity. The third chapter presents a manuscript which outlines two empirical studies that examined the associations between sleep problems, sleep hygiene and ADHD symptoms in young adults. Results indicated that young adults with elevated ADHD symptoms reported more sleep problems (specifically insomnia and sleepiness) and poorer sleep hygiene (specifically substance abuse and poor sleep scheduling) than young adults without elevated ADHD symptoms. Young adults with ADHD also reported more sleep problems even after accounting for substance abuse and poor sleep scheduling, suggesting that poor sleep hygiene is not responsible for the sleep problems of young adults with ADHD. The fourth chapter presents a summary of the research findings, as well as a discussion of the methodological limitations and directions for future research. / Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2010-01-20 15:27:40.187

The psychosocial functioning of the families of clinic-referred adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was evaluated in two studies. Study 1 examined the psychiatric and psychological difficulties of married adults with ADHD and their spouses, with a focus on the quality of their marital adjustment and family functioning. Study 2 focused on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, the psychological functioning, and the social functioning of children with ADHD parents. / Results revealed that married adults with ADHD had higher rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders and more psychological distress than non-ADHD control adults. The spouses of adults with ADHD did not differ in rates of psychiatric disorders from the control spouses, however, they reported significantly higher levels of current psychological distress. Greater marital and family dysfunction were reported by adults with ADHD than control adults. The spouses of ADHD adults, however, did not report greater marital and family dysfunction than the spouses of controls. / The children of ADHD adults were found to be at high risk for ADHD. Forty-three percent of the children met DSM-IV criteria for the disorder. The children with ADHD were found to have higher rates of comorbid disorders, more psychological difficulties, and significantly poorer social functioning than the control children. The non-ADHD children of ADHD adults were not found to differ from control children on these measures. Having a parent without a psychiatric disorder in the home was found to have a protective effect on behavior problems in the non-ADHD children. / Together, these studies suggest that evaluating the functioning of family members and the health of the family relationships are important when assessing clinic-referred adults with ADHD. These results suggest that involving family members in the therapeutic process may be beneficial.