Why Do Parents of Children with ADHD Experience More Exhaustion? — Meta-Analysis of 44 Studies (2013)

3-Line Summary

1. What: A landmark meta-analysis synthesizing 44 studies (published and unpublished) to quantify how much higher parenting stress is in families raising a child with ADHD.
2. Who: Parents of children with ADHD compared to parents of typically developing children (non-clinical controls).
3. Results: Parents of children with ADHD experienced significantly higher parenting stress than non-clinical comparison groups. ADHD symptom severity, co-occurring conduct problems, and parental depression were the primary predictors of parenting stress.

Keywords

parenting-stress caregiver-burden ADHD-severity conduct-problems parental-depression

Action Tips

• Feeling high levels of parenting stress is not a reflection of your failure as a parent. Research evidence shows that raising a child with ADHD demands more energy than typical parenting.
• You may want to ask a professional about parent support groups or parenting support programs that could be helpful.
• If you feel your parenting stress is severe, consider seeking professional counseling.