Abstract
The aim of this survey study was to examine the etiologies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) attributed by caregivers of Taiwanese children with ADHD, particularly factors affecting such attribution. This study had 400 caregivers of children with ADHD as participants. We examined the caregiver-attributed etiologies of ADHD and factors affecting such attribution. Caregivers completed the self-report questionnaire to rate how likely they perceived various etiologies of ADHD to be; the Affiliate Stigma Scale for the level of affiliate stigma; and the short Chinese version of the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, Version IV Scale for child’s ADHD and oppositional symptoms. Brain dysfunction (84.8%) was the most commonly attributed etiology, followed by failure of caregivers in disciplining the child (44.0%); a poor diet, such as a sugar-rich diet (40.8%); a poor living environment (38.8%); the child imitating their peers’ improper behavior (37.3%); failure of school staff in disciplining the child (29.0%); the education system’s overemphasis on academic performance (27.3%); and supernatural beings or divination-based reasons (3.8%). Caregivers’ affiliate stigma was significantly associated with the attribution of several nonbiological etiologies other than brain dysfunction. Caregivers’ education level and children’s sex, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and oppositional symptoms were significantly associated with various caregiver-attributed etiologies. Therefore, to deliver more accurate knowledge about ADHD in educational programs, health professionals should consider those etiologies that are attributed by caregivers of children with ADHD.
Highlights
The results indicated that the most commonly attributed etiology was brain dysfunction (84.8%), followed by failure of caregivers in disciplining the child (44.0%); a poor diet, such as a sugar-rich diet (40.8%); a poor living environment
The present study demonstrated that affiliate stigma is significantly associated with the attributions of several nonbiological etiologies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including diet, a poor living environment, the education system’s overemphasis on academic achievement, and supernatural beings or divination-based reasons
We demonstrated that caregivers of children with ADHD attributed their child’s
Summary
ADHD is highly heritable and multifactorial; multiple genes and non-inherited factors contribute to the disorder [1]. Neuropsychological dysfunctions such as executive dysfunction have been proposed to explain the deficits in behavioral inhibition, working memory, regulation of motivation, and motor control in those with ADHD [2]. It affected 10.1% of school-age children and adolescents in Taiwan [3] as per ADHD’s diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical.
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