Parent Perceptions of Medication Treatment for Preschool Children with ADHD

This study sought to examine parent perceptions of medication use for 151 preschool children ( M age  = 5.05 years, 78% male, 82% Hispanic/Latino) with or at-risk for ADHD who were medication naive. Parents completed questionnaires regarding family background and perceptions of medication treatment....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child psychiatry and human development 2018-02, Vol.49 (1), p.155-162
Main Authors: Hart, Katie C., Ros, Rosmary, Gonzalez, Victoria, Graziano, Paulo A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggressiveness
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Behaviour disordered children
Child & adolescent psychiatry
Child and School Psychology
Children
Demography
Drug therapy
Drugs
Early intervention
Functional impairment
Openness
Original Article
Parents & parenting
Perceptions
Preschool children
Psychiatry
Psychology
Questionnaires
Severity
Social background
Teachers
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Summary:This study sought to examine parent perceptions of medication use for 151 preschool children ( M age  = 5.05 years, 78% male, 82% Hispanic/Latino) with or at-risk for ADHD who were medication naive. Parents completed questionnaires regarding family background and perceptions of medication treatment. Parents and teachers completed ratings of child diagnostic symptomatology, behavioral functioning, and functional impairment. Results indicate that only 45% of parents were open to the possibility of medication. No associations were found between child demographics, severity of ADHD symptoms, or level of functional impairment and parental openness to medication. On the other hand, children of parents who were open to medication tended to have higher levels of oppositionality and aggression (as reported by parents but not teachers) compared with children of parents who were not open to medication. These findings are discussed in the context of early intervention given their implications for a variety of treatment providers.
ISSN:0009-398X
1573-3327
DOI:10.1007/s10578-017-0737-9