Parents of attention-deficit kids need treatment too, experts say

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | January 7, 2004 | Unattributed

[Holly_P]

Treatment for many young children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder should also include treatment for their parents, according to researchers involved in one of the first systematic studies of preschool kids with ADHD.

The research team from the University of Maryland's ADHD Program found that parents of children with the condition are 24 times more likely to have the disorder themselves, as compared with the parents of children without ADHD.

The study also showed that, when ADHD preschoolers also suffer from other serious behavioral problems, the parents are two to five times more likely to suffer from a wide range of mental health problems as well -- including depression, anxiety and drug addictions. Since treatments for children with ADHD rely heavily on parental support, parents' problems can interfere with a child's improvement, the researchers said in a report that appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

''The evidence is dramatic and the message clear: We need to treat the whole family, not just the child,'' said University of Maryland psychologist Andrea Chronis, the study's lead author and director of the Maryland ADHD Program. ''Too often, the answer is just to give the children drugs. But our study suggests that, when there are problems in the family, you need to address those, too.''

The study is the fourth in a 10-year project following the long-term progress of approximately 200 children recruited at the University of Chicago and the University of Pittsburgh.

''We hope to identify meaningful early predictors of how these kids will do as they grow up,'' Chronis said.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Wanna bet the diagnosis will start to drop statistically, once the parents start to be told that they themselves need to be medicated? :)

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[ProudGOP]

''The evidence is dramatic and the message clear: We need to treat the whole family, not just the child,''

WooHoo! Ritalin for everyone

[Ann Archy]

Wow...finally!! I canot believe that sooooo many parents have kids that take these drugs.

[JennysCool]

The parents MUST be included! (They're the ones with the money).

[Pan_Yans Wife]

You know, I have often wondered why parents want their children labled as having ADD.

Is it because they don't think their children warrant enough status or attention, based on the child's merits? And thus they want the child to be seen as deserving "special" attention, due to a mental problem?

[Dianna]

You know, I have often wondered why parents want their children labled as having ADD.

For some, I think it is that being a consistant disciplinary force is demanding. The parent is lazy and inconsistent (or burdened by depression or whatever), the kids become unruly, and instead of the parents accepting that they need to get a move on, it's easier to say that there is something wrong with the kid.

[JennysCool]

The sad thing is, I think they just want a "professional" to say it's okay to drug their kids when they get rambunctious.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

To me, it sounds like "borrowing trouble", why want the doctors and the pediatricians and the medical hassle?

The parents should be grateful for the children that they have, cognitive defects are not something to wish for.

[tiki]

I agree. I know some think that ADHD doesn't exist but I have it and so does my youngest son. The thing to do is to recognize it and deal with it...NOT with drugs. They need to be told that they have to sit on that energy until an appropriate time and they need to have strong disipline. I always got glowing reports on my son's school behavior but I had to provide him a couple of hours a day more than most children of (hyper)active time.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I would like to present a different side to this. I have Adult ADD, I had it as a child but it was never diagnosed. My brother was severely adhd and my problems were mild compared to his.

There is no way I can make anyone understand how it effects my life. I have come to see it as a blessing as well as a curse. While it is very hard for me to finish projects, along the way I have learned to knit, crochet, embroider, sew, make soap, tap dance....you name it, I've probably done it.

The longest I've ever stayed at one job was 4 years, usually 1 or less. I work at a job very hard, get everything running smoothly, become bored and move on.

I don't take medication - I don't know if there is anything that would help, but I've learned to adapt pretty well.

I'm sure there are some kids who are on the medication needlessly, but there are also very genuine cases of this disorder.

[org.whodat]

You know, I have often wondered why parents want their children labled as having ADD.

Is it because they don't think their children warrant enough status or attention, based on the child's merits? And thus they want the child to be seen as deserving "special" attention, due to a mental problem?

It's the first step to get them on SSI,

[Pan_Yans Wife]

My point is the parents seeking out the diagnosis, and I believe that the number of cases will drop, when the doctor's turns to the parents and says, "Oh, you have a problem, too!"

[Dianna]

To me, it sounds like "borrowing trouble", why want the doctors and the pediatricians and the medical hassle?

Because it absolves them of any responsibility for their own or their children's behavior. They get to see themselves as good parents of good children who have a medical problem.

A friend of mine had a child who was diagnosed as Oppositional. My oldest son has Asperger Syndrome and was in therapy at the time (well before the diagnosis) because he was struggling socially and acting out at school. The friend explained to me all about how the therapist recommended therapy for her and her husband so they could learn how to deal with their oppositional child (who was at home). She expressed much surprise to find out that my husband and I were not in therapy over our son.

I very nicely did not explain that my child was in therapy because my CHILD (his thoughts, assumptions and reactions) was the problem.

[templar]

Is it because they don't think their children warrant enough status or attention, based on the child's merits?

It's not just ADHD and such. It encompases a full range of physical and behavioral disfunctions. It suits the lifestyle of some parents (mothers more than fathers, IMO) to have a 'sick' child. It can provide excuses, money, attention, etc. in abundance to the parent.

[sarasmom]

Because lots of parents want a free ride.
I find it sickening.
I know a mother of truly autistic children.She has worked hard, every day of her adult life, to make sure her sons will be able to function as adults, without her.
I have watched parents drug their normal, pre-school aged children,resort to drugs to make them easier to "handle", so they dont get kicked out of daycare.
It seems way to many highly educated adults ignore normal reality while parenting.
Can we all spell overeducated idiots?

[gracie1]

Trust me, not everyone here thinks that parents of ADHD kids are lazy or nondisciplinarian. I've had may share of problems with ADHD with my oldest son, and I have a tendency myself to flit from one thing to another. If you've not had a child with this problem, you don't know how it can affect your family. But there are some here who have gone down this road and share your experiances.

Thanks for sharing, don't let the judgemental get you down.

[GulliverSwift]

In other news: Reporters who write articles promoting the doping of America are the real ones who need medication.

[Tax Government]

Wanna bet the diagnosis will start to drop statistically, once the parents start to be told that they themselves need to be medicated? :)

With all due respect, I suspect that parents will increasingly accept the idea of treatment and medication. It's a matter of becoming comfortable with mental stress as a medical condition, and believing that treatment is not sigmatizing and doesn't lead to a loss of face. Considering that our entire lives revolve around mental activity, why shouldn't the brain or emotions respond by getting sick, tired or stressed? They clearly do. We owe it to our kids to help them (and ourselves) understand and cope effectively with stress.