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Article 1: Rimestad, M. L., Lambek, R., Christiansen, H. Z., & Hougaard, E. (2016). Short- and long-term effects of parent training for preschool children with or at risk of ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Attention Disorders, online ahead of print. doi:10.1177/1087054716648775

Learning Objective: 8.3 Evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of medication and psychosocial therapy for the treatment of ADHD in children, adolescents, and young adults.

Summary: This meta-analysis examines the efficacy of parent training for children age 2.5 to 6 with ADHD symptoms. Results across 16 studies and 1,003 children indicate that parent training predicted change in parent-rated outcomes, but not independently assessed symptoms.

Questions to Consider:

1. What is a meta-analysis? How were the studies chosen for this analysis? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach?
2. The difference between parent report and independently assessed symptoms has been reported elsewhere. Brainstorm several possible explanations for this discrepancy.
3. Results indicated a significant effect of parent training on negative parenting. Why is this important?
    

Article 2: Theule, J., Wiener, J., Tannock, R., & Jenkins, J. M. (2013). Parenting stress in families of children with ADHD. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 21, 3–17. doi:10.1177/1063426610387433

Learning Objective: 8.1 Describe the key features of ADHD and how the signs and symptoms of this disorder vary from early childhood through adulthood.

Identify problems associated with ADHD and how these problems vary as a function of children’s age and gender.

Summary: This meta-analysis examines the relationship between parenting stress and ADHD across 44 studies. Results indicated that parents of children with ADHD reported more stress than children without a diagnosis, but similar levels to parents of other clinically referred children.

Questions to Consider:

1. Results indicate that there is no difference in parenting stress between ADHD and other diagnoses. Why might this be?
2. What parent and contextual factors predicted stress? Are there factors not examined in this study that should be examined in the future?
3. Why is the inclusion of both published and unpublished studies a strength and a weakness?