Parents' priorities and preferences for treatment of children with ADHD: Qualitative inquiry in the MADDY study.
Stacy V Lu, Brenda M Y Leung, Alisha M Bruton and 6 others
PMID 35244227WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of children with ADHD described stress at home and school, worries about medication side effects, and barriers to finding treatments that fit their child.
They wanted flexible options and providers who understood ADHD.
Key findings
01Parents said ADHD affected home life, school accommodations and social pressure to make the child fit in.
02Parents wanted varied treatment options and often worried medication side effects made medicines a poor fit.
03Parents reported cost, insurance limits and lack of provider support as barriers to non-pharmaceutical treatments.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample of 23 parents, not a representative sample, so it cannot show how common these views are among all families of children with ADHD. Participants were parents from a trial of a multinutrient supplement, so they may have been more interested in non-pharmaceutical treatments than parents in general. Only parents were interviewed; children's own experiences and preferences were not captured. No member checking was performed, so participants did not confirm the interpretation of their transcripts. The sample was highly educated and relatively high-income, with 86% having completed college and 52% reporting household income over $80,000. Qualitative interviews report experiences, not treatment effects; parents' descriptions of helpful home strategies are not evidence those strategies work.
Declared interests
Dr. Arnold reported research funding from Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Roche/Genentech, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, YoungLiving Essential Oils and the National Institute of Health; consulting with Pfizer; and advisory board roles for Otsuka and Roche/Genentech. Other authors reported no relevant conflicts.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read parents' reports that diet changes, physical activity or non-pharmaceutical approaches helped as evidence these treatments improve ADHD symptoms. This qualitative study did not test any treatment; it only described parents' priorities and barriers.