ADHD and Maternal Resiliency: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Ca ...

Researchers have found that to some extent, stresses that tax a parent’s personal resources can be alleviated by their access to social supports (Cooke et al., 1988). Theory would suggest that mothers of ADHD children who receive greater levels of social support are in a better position to manage stresses associated with their child’s disorder than mothers who receive lower levels of social support.

Several studies have investigated the various ways in which social support influences the family. In particular, the benefits of social support have been associated with positive family adjustment, greater maternal satisfaction, lower maternal stress (Kazak & Marvin, 1984), and reduced marital and parent-child conflict in families of children experiencing an illness or handicap (Marcenko & Meyers, 1991). Yet some researchers have also suggested that social support can be potentially harmful and cause even greater distress (Harris, 1992). Supportive attempts can sometimes be perceived as intrusive and officious (Aneshensel, Pearlin, & Schuler, 1993). Additionally, increased levels of stress and marital discord have also been associated with higher rates of family involvement in personal affairs (Kazak & Marvin, 1984).

For some parents, the birth or presence of a handicapped child may adversely affect preexisting relationships with friends or relatives (McAllister, Butler, & Lei, 1973). In one study, families with a severely handicapped child were found to be significantly less likely to participate in social activities or visit with friends, relatives and neighbors than parents without such a child (McAllister et al.). In another study, neighbors of families with a handicapped child were reported to be more standoffish and tended to only interact with or offer assistance to nonhandicapped siblings in the family (McAndrew, 1976).

Although the significance of social support has been recognized in families with children experiencing an illness or particular handicap (Kazak & Marvin, 1984; Marcenko & Meyers, 1991), few studies have extended those findings to explore the use of social support as beneficial or harmful to mothers of ADHD children (Podolski and Nigg, 2001).