Impact of ADHD symptoms on family functioning, family burden and parents’ quality of life in a hospital area in Spain

Abstract

Background and objectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate whether ADHD symptom severity and ADHD subtype are associated with family functioning, family burden and quality of life, in a sample of parents of children diagnosed with ADHD. MethodsSeventy-four parents of children diagnosed with ADHD were recruited at an Outpatient Child & Adolescent Mental Health Clinic in Madrid (Spain) and afterwards completed four electronical self-administered scales to determine their perceived family functioning, family burden and quality of life, as well as the severity and subtype of ADHD symptoms in their children. ResultsSeverity of children’s ADHD symptoms negatively affected parents’ quality of life, family functioning and family burden. Higher scores in inattention and combined subtypes were correlated with lower results in those domains. In adjusted correlations, the SWAN hyperactivity/impulsivity subscale significantly correlated with the four scales. ConclusionsThese results suggest that severity of the ADHD symptoms has a negative impact on parent’s quality of life and family functioning in inattention and combined subtypes. Family therapy and other interventions targeted towards improving family relationships and caregivers’ wellbeing should be considered when managing ADHD in the clinical practice. Electronic measurement tools are a promising method of evaluation in mental health research.