Predicting Use of Medications for Children with ADHD: The Contribution of Parent Social Cognitions

Objective: To explore how well parental social cognitions, guided by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), contribute to the uptake and continuation of stimulant medication for children with ADHD. No previous study has explored this model in predicting medication use in a clinical sample. Method: Sixty-nine parents of children aged 6-13 years presenting to a tertiary ADHD clinic completed questionnaires, and a clinician documented their medication usage. Results: When controlling for medication status at baseline, both of the components of the TRA (i.e., attitudes and norms) predicted medication status following initial visit. Logistic regressions indicated that parents were more likely to enroll in or continue stimulant medication if they had lower stigma related to ADHD, a higher opinion of ADHD medications, and a greater knowledge of ADHD; this model classified 72.5% of the patients who started or continued stimulant medications. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the parents' knowledge about ADHD, opinion about treatment, and ADHD-related stigma are key factors to target in order to increase the uptake and continued use of evidence-based pharmacological interventions for children with ADHD.