Abstract

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may experience difficulties in emotional regulation, social participation, academic functioning, and daily routines, which can place increased emotional, practical, and caregiving demands on parents. At the same time, parenting a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is also associated with positive aspects, including opportunities for personal growth. The current study examined perceived growth among mothers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and specifically the associations between types of social support (from family, friends and significant others), types of parental well-being (parents’ cognitive assessment, and positive and negative feelings toward parenting), and types of perceived growth (personal, social, and religious growth). Participants were 246 mothers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, aged 28–70 years (M = 43.31, SD = 7.52), who completed questionnaires assessing the primary study variables. Family and significant-other support were associated with personal, social, and religious growth, while friends’ support was associated only with personal and social growth. Positive feelings toward parenting were positively associated with all three dimensions of perceived growth, whereas cognitive assessment related only to personal and social growth. Negative feelings toward parenting were not significantly associated with growth. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that social support explained a small but significant proportion of variance, but once parental well-being was added, only positive feelings remained uniquely associated with perceived growth. These findings highlight the potential importance of fostering positive parenting experiences and emotional well-being, alongside strengthening social support resources, among mothers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

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