Self-protective strategies of parents with ADHD and their children as mediated by sensitivity – a multiple-case study
Journal of Children's Services
ISSN: 1746-6660
Article publication date: 9 August 2019
Issue publication date: 4 November 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the parental sensitivity and self-protective strategies of parents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and those of their children.
Design/methodology/approach
Six parents with ADHD and their under 3-years-old children participated. One parent took part with her both children. The data included seven parent-child dyads. The parents were interviewed with the modified Adult Attachment Interview. Parental sensitivity was assessed using the CARE-Index. The self-protective strategies of the children were assessed with The Strange Situation Procedure or the Preschool Assessment of Attachment.
Findings
The study showed a variety of the self-protective strategies of parents with ADHD as well as those of their children. Three subgroups were formed on the basis of risk as indicated by Crittenden’s gradient of transformation of information. Parents displayed complex self-protective strategies as well as unresolved traumas, which impaired their sensitivity and ability to engage in mutual regulation of arousal and emotion. The parents’ needs of self-protection compromised their ability to protect and comfort their child that is their sensitivity. The children’s protective strategies matched those of their parents in regard to complexity as mediated by parental sensitivity.
Originality/value
This multiple-case study demonstrates new ideas to be tested with quantitative methods in larger samples. There are no previous studies which have examined both the attachment strategies and sensitivity of parents with ADHD connecting these with the evolving attachment strategies of their children.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Pekka Tani for all his help during this study and Sami Leppämäki, Elina Sihvola, Anniina Koski and Laura Korhonen for taking part in recruiting the participants for the study, and also to Patricia Crittenden for her help coding the data, Mikael Kivelä for his technical assistance, the anonymous reviewers for their feedback and for the most, all the participants of this study.
Citation
Syrjänen, M., Hautamäki, A., Pleshkova, N. and Maliniemi, S. (2019), "Self-protective strategies of parents with ADHD and their children as mediated by sensitivity – a multiple-case study", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 278-291. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-09-2018-0018
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited