Associations Between Child and Parent Characteristics and Parenting Stress in Japanese Mothers of Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

This article examines factors contributing to parenting stress among Japanese mothers of children aged 6–12 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using data from two samples recruited through community and clinical settings, the study assessed how child symptom severity (ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder, ODD), parenting efficacy, maternal depression, and maternal ADHD symptoms relate to two domains of parenting stress: child-domain and parent-domain, based on Abidin's Parenting Stress Index model. Results indicate that child ADHD and ODD severity, along with maternal depression, significantly explain variance in child-domain stress, while ODD severity, lower parenting efficacy, maternal depression, and maternal ADHD symptoms (clinic sample) contribute to parent-domain stress. Exploratory mediation analyses suggest maternal depression mediates the relationship between maternal ADHD symptoms and parent-domain stress, highlighting the importance of addressing both child behavior and parental psychological well-being in interventions for families of children with ADHD in Japan.