Poor Mental Health in Caregivers of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Its Relationships with Caregivers’ Difficulties in Managing the Children’s Behaviors and Worsened Psychological Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hui-Wen Tseng, Ching-Shu Tsai, Yu-Min Chen, Ray C. Hsiao, Fan-Hao Chou and Cheng-Fang Yen
Additional contact information
Hui-Wen Tseng: School of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung 831301, Taiwan
Ching-Shu Tsai: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 833401, Taiwan
Yu-Min Chen: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807377, Taiwan
Ray C. Hsiao: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Fan-Hao Chou: College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807378, Taiwan
Cheng-Fang Yen: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807377, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has thrown out a challenge to caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The present study examined the factors related to the poor general mental health state of the caregivers of children with ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic, including (1) difficulties of caregivers in asking their child to adopt protective behaviors against COVID-19, (2) difficulties of caregivers in managing the child’s daily performance, and (3) worsened psychological symptoms in children. In total, 161 caregivers completed an online questionnaire to provide data regarding their general mental health state and difficulties in asking their child with ADHD to adopt protective behaviors against COVID-19 and in managing the child’s after-school learning, sleep routine, and internet use, as well as worsened psychological symptoms. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that caregivers’ difficulties in managing ADHD children’s self-protective behaviors and after-school learning and the children’s worsened emotional symptoms were significantly associated with poor caregiver general mental health state. An intervention that enhances the mental health of caregivers of children with ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic by addressing their difficulties in managing the children’s behaviors and psychological problems is warranted.

Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; caregiver; COVID-19; infectious disease; mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:18:p:9745-:d:636613

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