Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are classified as mental disorders under the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). According to the DSM-IV, a diagnosis of ADHD requires that the person display six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity, and that the symptoms persist for at least 6 months, to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with the developmental level. Some of these symptoms include fidgeting, talking excessively, and interrupting. As a child or an adult being diagnosed with ADHD puts a lot of strain on a marriage and family. Once a child is diagnosed, the household is required to change and adapt in order to fit the needs of the ADHD child. In 1989, Szatmari et al. indicated that ADHD affects four to six percent of the school-age population in North America. One study compared the rate of marital dissolution between parents of adolescents and young adults with ADHD to parents of those without ADHD. Parents of youths diagnosed with ADHD in childhood were more likely to divorce and had a shorter latency to divorce. (Wymbs, et. al.) Although it is mostly children who are diagnosed with ADHD, it still affects 30 to 50 percent of adults who had ADHD in childhood.
In my paper, I plan on discussing the effects of an ADHD diagnosis on marriage and divorce rates, examining whether the disease is genetic, detailing the differences between adult and childhood ADHD, and showing the immediate and long-term effects of ADHD on parents and other siblings. Having a sister who was diagnosed with ADD at age two, I have many personal experiences with the disorder, which proved to be difficult at times. The symptoms that accompany ADHD can dramatically alter a family’s experience, not only affecting the child with the disorder, but changing the lives of all of the family members, as well as impacting relationships with those outside the family.
Hey Devyn,
ReplyDeleteReally interesting and important topic, especially with the continual rise of ADD/ADHD diagnosis. One thing I would be slightly wary of is having too broad a topic. Depending on how you choose to organize your paper, discussing the cause and effect could be quite lengthy.
For the effect of the disorder on relationships within the family- how much of the strain do you think is from the disorder itself? Is there a stigmatization of the individuals/relationships from society at large, and does that affect it?
Looking forward to hearing about your findings.
I would look at the journal Behaviour Modification as a starting point for your research. They have a lot of studies and articles you would find useful for the topic.
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