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Overcoming barriers to effective early parenting interventions for attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ): parent and practitioner views
Author(s) -
Smith E.,
Koerting J.,
Latter S.,
Knowles M. M.,
McCann D. C.,
Thompson M.,
SonugaBarke E. J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
child: care, health and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2214
pISSN - 0305-1862
DOI - 10.1111/cch.12146
Subject(s) - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , psychological intervention , psychology , intervention (counseling) , clinical psychology , compromise , parenting skills , drop out , parent training , developmental psychology , psychiatry , social science , sociology , economics , demographic economics
Background The importance of early intervention approaches for the treatment of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) has been increasingly acknowledged. Parenting programmes ( PPs ) are recommended for use with preschool children with ADHD . However, low ‘take‐up’ and high ‘drop‐out’ rates compromise the effectiveness of such programmes within the community. Methods This qualitative study examined the views of 25 parents and 18 practitioners regarding currently available PPs for preschool children with ADHD ‐type problems in the UK . Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken to identify both barriers and facilitators associated with programme access, programme effectiveness, and continued engagement. Results and conclusions Many of the themes mirrored previous accounts relating to generic PPs for disruptive behaviour problems. There were also a number of ADHD ‐specific themes. Enhancing parental motivation to change parenting practice and providing an intervention that addresses the parents' own needs (e.g. in relation to self‐confidence, depression or parental ADHD ), in addition to those of the child, were considered of particular importance. Comparisons between the views of parents and practitioners highlighted a need to increase awareness of parental psychological barriers among practitioners and for better programme advertising generally. Clinical implications and specific recommendations drawn from these findings are discussed and presented.