ADHD, Parental Stress, Stigma, and Mindfulness Training

Abstract

Many studies have proven that parental stress was associated with childhood mental disorders and disabilities, and in recent years, studies have shown that parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) experience more parenting stress than parents of typically developing children. Parents living with a child with ADHD experienced stress as they struggled to cope with the child's symptoms amidst the stigmatizing attitudes from family and community members. The chapter tried to explore various factors related with parental stress and ADHD such as quality of life, parental rating of ADHD symptoms and related issues, treatment outcome, marital life, and mental health. One of the important factors contributing to stress is stigma, and the chapter also attempted to explore the link between parental stress and stigma, especially related to ADHD and its interventions. The chapter emphasized the role of mindfulness training for treating ADHD and parental stress while pointing out the methodological limitations.