The Survey of the Relationship between Family Functioning and Caring Burden of Parents with Children with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. Children with this disorder put a lot of stress on their parents. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between family function and the care burden of parents of children with ADHD.

In this cross-sectional study, the population included Families with a child with ADHD who referred to a specialized child psychiatric clinic. 30 families were selected by the available sampling method and were researched. Data collection tools included Family Function Assessment (FAD) and Zarit care burden Questionnaires.

Among the children studied, 21 were boys (70%) and 9 were girls (30%). 93.3% (28 children) experienced severe ADHD. 80.1% of families (24 families) had an unhealthy function. Also, 47.2% (14 families) experienced severe care burdens. There was a significant relationship between overall family function and the amount of care burden (P = 0.0001).

Due to the relationship between family function and care burden, factors affecting family function should be identified. Better family function in controlling ADHD, will reduce the severity of behavioral symptoms and reduce the care burden of the family.