Parent Involvement in Treatment for ADHD: A Meta-Analysis of the Published Studies

Abstract

Given high rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosed in children, knowledge of effective treatment is crucial. To this end, a meta-analysis of parent-involved psychosocial treatment was undertaken to determine its effect on a number of outcomes salient to children with ADHD. Sixteen studies met the criteria for the meta-analysis. Findings indicated that the impact of treatment on ADHD was low compared to comparison and/or control conditions, whereas child-internalizing symptoms and academic problems were better affected by family involvement. Teachers reported the highest effect sizes followed by parents themselves. Although parent involvement might be important for affecting the internalizing symptoms and academic problems that plague children with ADHD, ADHD and externalizing symptoms might be better targeted by other interventions.