DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/MRD5-PQ19

Defense Date

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Clinical Psychology

First Advisor

Heather A. Jones, PhD

Second Advisor

Fantasy T. Lozada, PhD

Third Advisor

Stephanie Crewe, MD

Abstract

Parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) endorse increased levels of parenting stress and subsequently employ ineffective parenting practices. For children with comorbid conduct problems, mothers report more parenting stress than mothers of children with ADHD alone. I investigated the relationships among child ADHD diagnostic status, parenting stress, parenting behaviors (i.e., involvement and positive parenting) and child conduct problems in 78 African American mothers of children with and without ADHD. Mothers completed a demographic questionnaire, a semi-structured clinical interview, the ADHD Rating scale (also completed by teachers), the Impairment Rating Scale, the Parenting Stress Index – Short Form, and the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire. Simultaneous multiple regressions indicated that both child ADHD and conduct problems significantly predicted parenting stress. However, these child variables did not predict parenting behaviors, and child conduct problems did not moderate the association between child ADHD and parenting stress. Results highlight how parenting stress may be the most integral target in psychosocial treatment for African American mothers. Given this, future researchers should longitudinally investigate these relationships and clinicians should ensure parenting stress and child conduct problems are integrated into ADHD treatment.

Rights

© Amanda M. Parks

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

12-14-2018

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