Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

414

Date

2011

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Counseling Personnel Services

Concentration

Community Agency Counseling

Committee Chair

Daniel Lustig

Committee Member

Richard James

Committee Member

N. Dewaine Rice

Committee Member

Stephen Zanskas

Abstract

The number of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] is significant and growing (Pastor & Reuben, 2008). For example, the United States Census Bureau survey of medical issues reported that 4.5 million children, representing 7.8% of the population in the United States between the ages of 5 to 17, have been diagnosed with ADHD (National Health Interview Survey, 2006). Compliance in families with a child with ADHD has been a topic of research. A number of studies have specifically investigated medication compliance. It is reported that medication non-adherence can range from 20% to 70% (Stine, 1994). It is not only an issue for medication treatment. It is also reported that 51% do not complete behavioral interventions (Corkum, Rimer, & Schachar, 1999). It is hypothesized that compliance with mental health treatment would have a positive impact on the outcome of treatment for ADHD. Thus, improvement of compliance would be a sought after goal, and ways to achieve compliance would be a beneficial area of research. If a relationship between family functioning and compliance can be established, then interventions directed towards improving family functioning could impact treatment compliance. The focus of the current study is to determine whether there is a relationship between family functioning and compliance with treatment for a child with diagnosis of ADHD. The following research questions will be examined: 1. Is there a relationship between family functioning and treatment compliance as perceived by a parent for a family with a child diagnosed with ADHD? 2. Is there a relationship between family functioning and treatment compliance as perceived by a mental health professional for a family with a child diagnosed with ADHD? Participants were a sample of 63 families who have a child in the home with a diagnosis of ADHD. Both a mental health professional that provided services to the family and a parent/guardian evaluated the family's functioning by each completing the Family Assessment Device [FAD] (Ryan, Epstein, Keitner, Miller, & Bishop, 2005) on the family. The mental health professional also completed a treatment compliance inventory, specifically designed for this study. Significance was only found between the FAD subscale of behavior control and the treatment compliance inventory (p < .001) when the mental health professional completed the FAD. Interventions with families in the development of behavior control could have a positive impact on compliance with this sample. One question raised by this study is why was behavior control not significant when the FAD was completed by a parent?

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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