Practice guidelines and parental ADHD treatment evaluations: friends or foes?

In this exploratory descriptive study, we used focus groups to examine parental evaluations of treatment approaches to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the congruence of these evaluations with professional practice guidelines. We paid particular attention to home-care strategies and to parental experiences and attitudes regarding medications for ADHD. Some home-care techniques were consistent with evidence-based behavioral principles, whereas others seemed to be based on popular myths, with little indication that they could improve the child's behavior. Indeed, some might actually add unnecessary stress to the parent-child relationship by introducing ineffective limitations (e.g., dietary restrictions). Parental accounts uniformly depicted stimulant use, the cornerstone of ADHD treatment in the United States, as a difficult treatment modality to consider and accept for their children. Study findings indicate that professional guidelines and parent ADHD treatment evaluations are only partially congruent, with the greatest discrepancy in the role assigned to stimulants. Increased provider-parent communication concerning medications might improve adherence and treatment outcomes.