A Phenomenological Study into the experience of being a parent with ADHD, participating in everyday tasks and routines.

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition widely recognized in children. In recent years it has been recognized that ADHD continues into adulthood. There are now people being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, often when the condition is identified in their child. Still, there has been very little research completed in this field. Occupational Therapists have worked for many years with children with ADHD. However, this condition presents different challenges in adults than in children and many adults have been left to manage themselves. The literature review showed that parents with ADHD experienced difficulties in their everyday life. The majority of previous literature has been conducted out with the UK from a psychology perspective, however uses occupational therapy terminology. However, In the UK there has been no research to show how this affects their every day life within the realms of occupational therapy. Adults with ADHD often find household chores and sticking to routines difficult. Parents specifically report finding discipline and routine difficult which leads to increased stress. The review concluded, that ADHD may cause difficulties for parents in the UK but it is currently unclear how the conditions affects their parenting as parenting behaviours may differ in the UK. Therefore, this thesis will attempt to explore the experience of parents who have ADHD whilst participating in everyday household tasks and routines. A phenomenological approach will be used to gather a deep understanding of four Scottish parents' experiences. It will look at parents newly diagnosed with ADHD in adult hood. This will be done through a combination of interviews and video-diaries. It is hoped this research will lead the way to wider investigation in the field of Occupational Therapy with a specific focus on Parents.