Living at the edge of one's capability: Experiences of parents of teenage daughters diagnosed with ADHD

Abstract

Living with a child with a disability is often perceived as a permanent stressor to the family and it affects all aspects of family life including the well-being of family members. Since little is known about parenting teenage daughters diagnosed with ADHD, the aim of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of the main problem involved using a grounded theory approach. Interviews were carried out with 12 parents, 11 mothers and 1 father, of teenage daughters diagnosed with ADHD. The parents' situation was conceptualized as living at the edge of one's capability with the properties having the sole parental responsibility, fighting for professional support, being on duty around the clock and trying to solve family conflicts. Parents described how their health was negatively affected by their life situation. Key words: Grounded theory, ADHD, teenage girls, parents, well-being