Health-related quality of life in mothers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Taiwan: The roles of child, parent, and family characteristics.
Mom's depression and thin support network, not her child's ADHD severity, most strongly drag down her quality of life.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers asked mothers of children with ADHD to fill out a survey about their own health and life quality. They compared the answers to those from mothers of typically developing kids in Taiwan.
The team also looked at child, parent, and family factors to see which ones most strongly predicted how the moms felt.
What they found
Mothers of children with ADHD scored lower on every part of health-related quality of life. The biggest reasons were maternal depression and low family support, not how severe the child's ADHD symptoms were.
How this fits with other research
Lin et al. (2009) used the same WHOQOL-BREF survey and found the same pattern in mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. Both studies show that when a child has any developmental disability, the mom's quality of life drops across the board.
Bourke-Taylor et al. (2012) looked at mothers of kids with developmental disabilities and found that maternal empowerment and healthy activities protected mental health. Their results seem to clash with Liang et al. (2021), who say child behavior is not the main driver. The difference is in what was measured: Helen's team asked about empowerment and daily activities, while Hsin-Yi focused on depression and family support. Both agree that mom-focused factors matter more than child symptoms.
Panpan et al. (2025) also worked in Taiwan and found that higher perceived social support lowers parenting stress in ADHD families. Their finding supports Liang et al. (2021): when family support is weak, moms suffer more.
Why it matters
Before you write another behavior plan, screen Mom for depression and ask who helps her at home. A five-minute mood check and a list of local support groups may do more for the family than extra token charts. When you write goals, add parent self-care and family support as targets. If Mom feels better, the whole home program runs smoother.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: No study has examined how child and maternal psychopathological difficulties and family factors contribute to the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of mothers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD). AIMS: To investigate the impact of children's diagnosis of ADHD, children's and maternal psychopathology and significant sociodemographic variables of the children, parents and family on HRQOL of mothers of children with ADHD and those of children with typical development (TD) in Taiwan. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Children with ADHD (n = 257) and children with typical development (n = 324) and their mothers were recruited from a psychiatric clinic of a medical center and 10 elementary schools and four high schools in northern Taiwan. Maternal HRQOL was assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF, while the other factors were screened using the Chinese version of the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test for autistic traits, the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version IV scale for ADHD symptoms, the Child Behavior Checklist for behavioral and emotional problems, The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for maternal depression and interpersonal problems, the Adult ADHD Self-report Scale for maternal ADHD symptoms, and the Family APGAR for family support. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Mothers of children with ADHD had significantly worse HRQOL in all four domains compared with those of children with typical development. Multiple regressions found that factors consistently related to the HRQOL of mothers of children with ADHD and those of children with TD were maternal depression and perceived family support after controlling for several familial, parental and child variables. HRQOL of mothers of children with ADHD and those of children with TD was more closely related to her own and family factors rather than mother- or teacher-rated ADHD symptoms, clinical diagnosis of ADHD or psychopathology of the child. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Screening for maternal HRQOL, depressive symptoms and family support systems and mental health services for mothers of children with ADHD are warranted based on these findings.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2021 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103944