Lífsgæði og líðan íslenskra foreldra sem eiga börn með ad(h)d

Abstract

The quality of life and well being of parents who have 5-18 year old children with a diagnosis of attention deficit with or without hyperactivity were measured and compared to an analogous group of parents who had children without ad(h)d. A total of 281 parents participated in the study. The ADHD Association in Iceland sent out a questionnaire to parents who were registered as members. The research question was whether differences would be found in the well being and quality of life of parents of children with ad(h)d compared to other parents. The results indicate that there are differences in the amount of stress in both family and professional life experienced by parents of children with ad(h)d due to the child‘s problems. The mothers of hyperactive children were more likely to work part time because of the child‘s problems but not the fathers. The parents of children with ad(h)d experienced more stress in their family life compared to the other parents. In addition, the parents of hyperactive children did worry more about the future of their child than the other parents. They also had more negative interactions with their mates than the other parents, due to the child‘s problems and their well being was not as good as the well being of the other parents.

Lífsgæði og líðan foreldra sem áttu 5-18 ára gömul börn sem greinst höfðu með athyglisbrest með eða án ofvirkni (ad(h)d), voru mæld og borin saman við sambærilegan hóp foreldra sem áttu barn án ad(h)d. Þátttakendur voru alls 281. ADHD samtökin á Íslandi sáu um að senda út spurningalista til foreldra sem skráðir eru í samtökin. Kannað var hvort munur væri á líðan og lífsgæðum foreldra barna með ad(h)d og annarra foreldra. Niðurstöðurnar studdu tilgátur rannsóknarinnar í öllum tilfellum fyrir utan eina tilgátu sem var aðeins studd að hluta. Munur var á upplifun foreldra á álagi innan fjölskyldunnar og í starfi sem tengdist vanda barns. Mæður barna með ad(h)d voru líklegri til að vinna hlutastarf vegna vanda barns, en ekki feður. Foreldrar barna með ad(h)d upplifðu meira álag í fjölskyldu sinni en aðrir foreldrar og höfðu meiri áhyggjur af barninu sínu en aðrir foreldrar. Einnig töldu foreldrar ofvirkra barna sig eiga í neikvæðari samskiptum við maka sinn vegna vanda barns og töldu andlega líðan sína vera verri.