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ADHD - Child

Relationship Between Hyperactivity Symptoms and Parenting Stress in Toddlers Clinically Referred for PCIT-Toddler

(PS11-A23) Relationship Between Hyperactivity Symptoms and Parenting Stress in Toddlers Clinically Referred for Pcit-toddler

Sunday, November 20, 2022

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EST

Location: Westside Ballroom, 5th Floor

Author(s)

GM

Gabrielle M. McDonald, None

Student
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

Co-Author(s)

SP

Sharon Phillips, M.A.

Student
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
Lindsay R. Druskin, M.S.

Doctoral Student
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
Christopher K. Owen, M.S.

Doctoral Candidate
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
Robin C. Han, M.S.

Doctoral Student
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
JK

Jane R. Kohlhoff, B.A., Ph.D., Psy.D.

Associate Professor
University of New South Wales
Villawood, New South Wales, Australia
Cheryl B. McNeil, Ph.D.

Professor
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

Parents of children with high activity levels and disruptive behaviors have reported that most of their stress is due to their children’s behavior, and they report overall higher stress levels than parents of children with typical neurological functioning (Agazzi, 2017; Leitch, 2019). Parenting stress can impact parenting behaviors by making it harder for the parents to be engaged and involved with their child. By addressing parenting stress in child treatment, parents are able to participate more fully in treatment, which can promote better child outcomes (Glueck et al., 2018). There is a lack of research about the relationship between symptoms consistent with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and parenting stress in toddler (12–24-month-olds) populations. The current study examined the relationship between toddler ADHD symptoms, parent-reported stress, and parent verbal and behavioral manifestations of stress symptoms. Participants included 91 parent-toddler dyads that were clinically referred to undergo a randomized controlled trial testing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy-Toddler (PCIT-T) and the Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P) program, at the Karitane Toddler Clinic in Sydney, Australia (Kohlhoff et al., 2020). Child ADHD symptoms and parent stress were measured via the Parent Stress Index – Short form (PSI-SF), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System (DPICS). All measures and observations were completed prior to the beginning of treatment. A correlation matrix was run with the PSI-SF subscales: Parental Distress (PD), Difficult Child (DC), Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction (PCDI), the CBCL Attention Problems Subscale, the DPICS Parent Yell scale, and the DPICS No Opportunity to Comply scale. Results of the correlation matrix indicate that higher attention problem scores were significantly associated with higher parent-reported stress scores (PD: r = .312, p = .004 ; PCDI: r = .478, p = < .001; DC: r = .481, p = < .001; Total: r = .483, p = < .001), higher instances of no opportunity to comply commands (r = .310, p = .004), and higher amounts of parent negative talk during the frustration (r = .255, p = .021) and warm-up tasks (r = .223, p = .044). Overall, higher attention problems in toddlers were associated with higher levels of parental stress and parent negative verbalization. These findings can inform early interventions for childhood disruptive behaviors. By understanding the relationship between toddler disruptive behaviors and parenting stress, future clinicians will be able to better treat child externalizing behavioral problems and provide therapies that are well matched to a particular parent-child dyad. These findings will benefit the community by providing parents and child therapists with more research on toddlers exhibiting ADHD-related symptoms.