Parenting Stress Among Families of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder
Prior research has shown that parenting stress levels can be quite high among families of
children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study investigated the degree
to which such stress was related not only to the child's ADHD, but also to various other child,
parent, and family—environment circumstances. Multimethod assessments were conducted on
104 clinic-referred children with ADHD. Data collected from these subjects were entered into
hierarchical multiple-regression analyses, utilizing the Parenting Stress Index as the criterion.
The results showed that child and parent characteristics accounted for a substantial portion of the
variance in overall parenting stress. The child's oppositional—defiant behavior and maternal
psychopathology were especially potent predictors. The severity of the child's ADHD, the child's
health status, and maternal health status also emerged as significant predictors. These findings
are discussed in terms of their impact upon the clinical management of children with ADHD.