Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common developmental disorder
among school-aged children. A multimodal treatment approach is the most effective
approach for ADHD children. Parent intervention group activities help parents with
ADHD children develop a good mindset toward their child and help develop skills to
design appropriate parenting strategies. Our objective was to study the effect of
growth mindset activities on reducing behavioral problems of ADHD children and factors
associated with stress among parents of children with ADHD. A randomized controlled
trial was conducted and parents of ADHD children aged 7 to 15 years were divided into
the experimental and the control groups. The experimental group participated in mindset
and communication intervention activities for 3 hours each, while the control group
received only initial knowledge and guidance. Baseline data were collected in the
beginning of the trial and at 2 and 6 months after starting the trial. Fifty parents
with a mean age of 40.14 ± 8.28 years were divided into two groups. After 6 months,
the mean mindset scores of the experimental group were statistically significantly
higher than those of the control group (p-value = 0.014) and the impulsiveness score decreased by 2.46 ± 1.19 points (p-value = 0.05). The associated factors affecting parenting stress are their own mindset
and their child's rebellious behavior. Parent intervention group activities help adjusting
parents' mindsets and reduce impulsive behavior in children at 6 months of the trial.
A child's rebellious behavior is the best predictor of parental stress, followed by
the parents mindset.
Keywords
ADHD - growth mindset - stress - parent intervention group activities
