Abstract
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood disorders. This study aimed to explore the personal experiences of mothers who have a child with a diagnosis of ADHD. A qualitative methodology, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, was used to explore and illuminate issues that might improve our understanding and treatment of the difficulties associated with ADHD by an in-depth analysis of mothers' accounts of their experiences. Eight mothers, whose children have a diagnosis of ADHD and who were also receiving ongoing support for their child's behavioural problems, gave audio-taped interviews which were transcribed and analysed for common themes. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: Challenge to the meaning of being a capable parent; Refraining the problem; and Making sense of and coming to terms with ADHD, and these were discussed in the context of theoretical knowledge. It is suggested that although mothers' experienced relief and a new understanding of their child's problems, they continued to struggle with considerable ongoing difficulties that involved friends, family, school and wider social pressures. Some of these problems were complicated by the controversy surrounding the diagnosis of ADHD. The effects of the complex interplay of these many pressures upon the parent-child relationship were explored. Models of the maintenance of parent-child conflict were suggested with the focus on attachment and self-efficacy, and the impact of these as well as mothers' attributions and cognitions, upon their experience of their child, were described. The possible implications of this study for clinical practice were considered.