PSYC Researchers Explore Parents’ Role in Helping Young Adults with ADHD
Researchers Say Parents and Children Could Benefit from Interventions that Balance Autonomy and Assistance
Knowing when to step in, or step back from helping your child figure something out is a challenge for all parents. For parents of children with neurodiverse needs, however, that decision is often a little more complicated—especially as their children navigate the transition to college, and/or the world of work.
Parents of college students with ADHD who participate in the University of Maryland’s Students Understanding College Choices Encouraging & Executing Decisions for Success (SUCCEEDS) program are among those many who are unsure of what to do when faced with such decisions, note the authors of a new paper published in Nature Mental Health.
"Parents of transition-age youth with ADHD are at a loss for what to do,” said Andrea Chronis-Tuscano, director of the SUCCEEDS program and the Department of Psychology’s (PSYC) Joel & Kim Feller Endowed Professor. “Based on past experiences, they may feel pulled to help their young adult do things that their peers are doing independently because they do not want to see them fail. At the same time, this level of parent involvement can feel overbearing to the young adult who wants independence, but may still need some scaffolding.”
In SUCCEEDS, staff often use an intervention approach called “motivational interviewing.” Motivational interviewing is a way of communicating with students who may be feeling ambivalent or unmotivated to make changes that encourages them to explore barriers, identify the value of making difficult changes, and come up with a good plan for tackling those changes. The emphasis is on partnership, which the researchers say is important to uphold at this transition-age.
But, acknowledges the paper’s co-lead author, PSYC doctoral candidate Hong Nhu Thi Bui, this approach can be hard for parents to put into practice.
“For a lot of parents, something like motivational interviewing might feel really risky, leaving them wondering ‘Well, what if my child isn’t motivated to change? Then what do I do?’” she said. “And, as we note in the paper, to our knowledge there aren’t any interventions that have been designed to specifically teach parents how to use motivational interviewing.”
Research that leads to the development of a motivational interviewing intervention for parents of young adults with ADHD is one of the things the researchers call for in their perspective paper. They also call for researchers to explore a young adult’s “environmental fit”—such as their interest in various parts of their daily life, like what they do for work—and how this affects their day-to-day success.
“Individuals with ADHD can sustain attention on tasks or activities that they are very interested in, so the key is for them to find their niche—a career path that holds their interest and that capitalizes on their strengths,” added Chronis-Tuscano.
The authors also write that it is important for researchers to increasingly look into how culture and socioeconomic status impact transition-age individuals with ADHD.
“Interventions must consider an individual family approach and recognize that exploration of interests and increased natural consequences—failing a course, taking a semester off—are a luxury that only some families can afford … some families may not have the financial resources, or simply hold different expectations for education or career choices, that prevent them from considering these suggested intervention components,” said Nicholas Marsh, the paper’s co-lead author and a doctoral student in the PSYC clinical psychology program. “Improving communication, motivation and making smaller environmental changes—exploring college majors, creating helpful workspaces and work times—can be beneficial for such families. Future research should continue to explore how best to support families with a wide range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds in our interventions for young adults.”
Through a BSOS Dean’s Research Initiative award, Hong plans to practice what the authors’ preach. Over the next year, Hong plans to interview 10 parents of transition-age individuals with ADHD, five transition-age individuals with ADHD, and five mental health professionals to see what kind of resources and support they need during this period.
Looking to the future, she hopes to be able to use that feedback to identify and test an appropriate intervention.
To express interest in participating in Hong Nhu Thi Bui’s forthcoming study, email hongbui@umd.edu.
To learn more about SUCCEEDS, visit umdadhd.org/succeeds
Illustration is by iStock
Published on Wed, May 8, 2024 - 11:02AM