Assessment of Depressive Symptoms and Coping Patterns in a Sample of Mothers of ADHD Children

Abstract Background Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that affects children and adults. Aim and Objectives To identify the rate of occurrence and severity of depressive symptoms in a sample of mothers with children having ADHD and to assess different coping strategies with stress used by those mothers. Subjects and Methods This cross sectional comparative study was conducted on 100 mothers. The study sample collected from the outpatient clinic of child psychiatry, Okasha Institute of psychiatry, Ain Shams University Hospital and rehabilitation unit, and the outpatient clinic of child psychiatry at El-Maamoura Psychiatric Hospital (during the proposed study period from September 2021 to the first of March 2022). Result Mothers of ADHD children had higher levels of depressive symptoms than the control group. There was statistically significant difference between the score of less useful in mild depressed Mean ±SD (35.29±4.23), moderate depressed Mean ±SD (34.71 ± 4.57) non-depressed mothers Mean ± SD (25.90±5.17). There was statistically significant relation between Beck Score and hyperactive and combined ADHD types. While there was no statistically significant relation between Beck Score and inattentive ADHD type. There was no statistically significant difference between the score of problem focused, emotional focused and humor in depressed and non- depressed mothers. Conclusion The depressive complaints of the mothers of the study sample were higher than the controls. There was statistically significant positive correlation between severity of depression and some coping styles.