Understanding Disclosure Decisions in Parents of Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Abstract

Parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often make disclosure decisions about their child's ADHD on their behalf. While disclosure can facilitate access to support, it risks stigma. Despite ADHD being one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions, little is known about parent's experiences in relating information about their child's ADHD diagnosis or medication use, to others. This study aimed to understand this decision-making process in parents of children with ADHD. Fifteen parents completed semi-structured interviews about their lived experience of making these decisions. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Five themes were organised to follow parents' decision-making process, starting with 'consider who to tell', followed by themes reflecting different disclosure goals: benefit the child, manage stigma, access support, and express identity. Findings highlighted a lack of support for parents through this decision-making process, and the opportunity to develop ways to provide this support in the future.