As parenting a child who is overactive, inattentive and impulsive presents numerous challenges, mothers of children with ADHD often report high levels of parenting stress. Many studies have shown that parenting stress leads negative parenting behavior...
As parenting a child who is overactive, inattentive and impulsive presents numerous challenges, mothers of children with ADHD often report high levels of parenting stress. Many studies have shown that parenting stress leads negative parenting behavior. Appraised parenting stresses and coping resources predict parenting behavior, and these coping resources mediate the relationships between parenting stress and parent behavior. In other words, the effects of parenting stress on parenting behavior is explained by coping resources. In order to examine the relationship between parenting stress and parenting behavior in more detail, it is necessary to verify the mediating effects of coping resources such as parenting self-efficacy and social support.
The purpose of the present study is to examine the effects of parenting stress on parenting behavior among mothers of children with ADHD. Specifically, this study focuses on investigating the mediating effects of parenting self-efficacy and social support. The theoretical model is based on Abidin's(1992) Parenting Stress Model which is grounded in Lazarus & Folkman's(1984) Stress-Coping Model.
The Research questions are as follow.
(1) Does parenting stress among mothers of children with ADHD have effects on their parenting behavior?
(2) Does parenting self-efficacy mediate the relationship between parenting stress and parenting behavior among mothers of children with ADHD?
(3) Does social support mediate the relationship between parenting stress and parenting behavior among mothers of children with ADHD?
The participants of the current study were mothers who have a child (elementary school student) diagnosed with ADHD. Mothers were selected from clinics/centers offering mental health services for ADHD children. Survey was conducted using a self reported questionnaire. A total of 147 cases were included in the hierarchical multiple regression analysis.
The major findings of the study can be summarized as follows.
First, parenting stress among mothers of children with ADHD has a significant negative effect on parenting behavior.
Second, parenting self-efficacy mediates the relationship between parenting stress and parenting behavior. The effects of mother's parenting stress on parenting behavior were mediated by the mother's parenting self-efficacy. A mother who experiences higher levels of stress tends to have a lower levels of parenting self-efficacy, and this lower parenting self-efficacy further presents negative effects on parenting behavior.
Third, social support mediates the relationship between parenting stress and parenting behavior. The effects of mother's parenting stress on parenting behavior appeared to be mediated by the mother's social support. A mother who experiences higher levels of stress tends to have lower levels of social support, and the lower levels of social support tends to present negative effects on parenting behavior.
The current results are the first to provide some insights into the underlying mechanisms of the relationships between parenting stress and parenting behavior among mothers of children with ADHD. The current results have shown that parenting stress does not only directly influence parenting behavior, but also present indirect influences on parenting behavior via its effects on parenting self-efficacy and social support. Given these results, in order to promote positive parenting behaviors among mothers of children with ADHD, it is necessary to reduce parenting stress and to enhance mother's parenting self-efficacy and social support. Interventions like parent training program, parenting stress manage program, self-help group are necessary to enhance mother's parenting self-efficacy and social support.
Despite these implications, the current study has a few limitations. First, the current results are hard to be generalized because the study uses a non-probability sample. Second, since the present study uses cross-sectional data, the causal relationships between variables cannot be explained. Third, the present study does not include all variables which effect on parenting behavior. Future research should address these limitations.