ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents. Treatments for this population should be multidisciplinary and must be initiated as early as possible. Non-pharmacological interventions for ADHD include psychoeducation, parent behavioural training programs and school interventions and accommodations. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed an online version of a combined psychoeducation and behavioural training program to facilitate access to mental health treatment and ensure continuity of care. OBJECTIVE: The study assessed the acceptability of this online parent training program, among parents and caretakers of children and adolescents with ADHD. METHODS: The program consisted of ten online sessions over the course of two consecutive days (five sessions a day). Satisfaction, usefulness and general comments about the program were assessed with open-ended questions and visual-analogous scales. Parents/caretakers' use of strategies to manage behavioural problems was assessed using the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales. RESULTS: A total of 206 parents participated in the online program 175 of whom completed the evaluation. Participants were satisfied with the content of the program. More than half of participants had already started using strategies included in the program. The engagement was high and no major obstacles were identified other than some internet connection issues. DISCUSSION: In our survey, online delivery was described as more convenient, and participants were satisfied with the content of the program finding it beneficial for their child. Despite this, some difficulties in implementing new strategies were observed. Online BTP increased access to the BTP programs while being effective on ADHD symptoms and behavioural disturbances. CONCLUSIONS: With these measures, we hope to improve engagement in online psychoeducation and behavioural therapy programs. Future research evaluating online behavioural training programs should focus on ways to make them more accessible and adaptable to families' obstacles.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the French government has decided a general lockdown. This unprecedented situation has raised concerns about children's and adolescent's mental health. Children and adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may find this context of restrained activity particularly tricky. The objectives of our study are to gather information about the well-being and global life conditions of children and adolescents with ADHD during the COVID-19 outbreak in France. METHODS: We designed a survey including both open-ended questions and questionnaire items for parents of children and adolescents with ADHD. Parents responded to the following open-ended questions: 1) "How is your child doing since the lockdown?" 2) "How is life at home since the lockdown?" 3) "If you had a remote service provision with a mental health professional (e.g. by telephone or video technology), please share your thoughts and any suggestions with us" 4) "Please share any other items that you think are important about ADHD symptoms of your child and the lockdown situation". This survey was posted on social media on the 6th of April and disseminated by French ADHD-parent and patient organizations. The present article reports the descriptive, qualitative and textometrical analyses of the survey. RESULTS: Between day 20 and 30 of lockdown, 538 parents responded to the survey, and we included 533 responses in the final analysis. The vast majority of responders were women 95 % (95 % CI 93,50; 97,18) with children whose mean age was 10,5 (95 % CI 7.58; 13.44). Since the lockdown, 34.71 % (95 % CI 30.70; 38.94) of children experienced a worsening in well-being, 34.33 % (95 % CI 30.34; 38.56) showed no significant changes and 30.96 % (95 % CI 27.09; 35.10) were doing better according to their parents. The thematic analysis showed that an improvement of their children's anxiety was one of the main topics addressed by parents. This improvement related to less school-related strain and flexible schedules that respected their children's rhythm. Improved self-esteem was another topic that parents linked with a lesser exposure of their children to negative feed-back. Parents repeatedly reported both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. However, optimal lockdown life conditions seemed to compensate for the impact of ADHD symptoms (e.g. sufficient space at home, presence of a garden). Some parents reported worsening of general well-being in their children, and this manifested as oppositional/defiant attitudes and emotional outbursts. Parents also cited sleep problems and anxiety in this context. As regards everyday life during lock-down, at-home schooling was another major topic-parents described that their children struggled to complete school-related tasks and that teachers seemed to have forgotten about academic accommodations. The lockdown situation seems to have raised parents' awareness of the role of inattention and ADHD symptoms in their children's learning difficulties. Due to potential selection biases, the results of our survey may not be generalizable to all children and adolescents with ADHD. The main strengths of this rapid survey-based study lies in the reactivity of the participants and the quality and diversity of their responses to the open-ended questions. CONCLUSIONS: According to their parents, most children and adolescents with ADHD experience stability or improvement of their well-being. An improvement in school-related anxiety and the flexible adjustment to the children's' rhythms as well as parents' increased awareness of the difficulties their children experience are among the key topics in parents' descriptions.