The Effect of Forgiveness Training in Mothers of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Improving the Parent-Child Relationships

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a forgiveness training in mothers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on improving the parent-child relationships.A total of thirty mothers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were selected from four and one districts of Tabriz. The children of these mothers were studying in the second and third grades of elementary school in the 98-99 academic year. Fifteen of them were randomly assigned to the training group and fifteen to the control group. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test design with control group and follow-up. In the training, the forgiveness program was conducted in eight sessions (ninety-minute) , once a week. Gerard Parent-Child Interaction Questionnaire was used to collect data. Multivariate analysis of covariance with repeated measures was used to analyzing the data. The results showed a significant difference in the subscales of quality of parent-child interaction, namely parental support, parenting satisfaction, participation in parenting, and communication with the child in the experimental group compared to the control group in the post-test stage and also in the follow-up period. The results showed that the forgiveness training has improved the relationships between mothers and children with ADHD. Therefore, training program can be used in counseling centers to improve parent-child relationships.