Biomedical subjects

Dana M Mason

Publications and source records attributed to Dana M Mason.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Child temperament, ADHD, and caregiver strain: exploring relationships in an epidemiological sample.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between child-reported dimensions of temperament and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as other indicators of child psychopathology, including disruptive disorders, depression, and anxiety. It also examined whether difficult child temperament scores independently predicted caregiver strain. METHOD: A school-district-wide, two-phase screening design (response rate 70% for phase 2) identified elementary school children at high risk for ADHD. Two hundred high-risk children and their parents completed standardized instruments to assess child temperament, diagnoses of disruptive disorders, children's symptoms of anxiety and depression, and caregiver strain. Relationships were examined using analysis of variance, correlations, and multivariate prediction models, adjusting for child sociodemographic characteristics and psychopathology. All estimates were weighted for sampling design and differential participation. RESULTS: Combined subtype ADHD was associated with lower scores on task orientation and higher scores on general activity level. Depressive symptoms correlated significantly with all but one difficult temperament dimension, in a pattern consistent with clinical symptoms of depression. Child temperament did not vary by ADHD treatment status. Among these high-risk children, maternal caregiver strain experiences were increased by male gender, inattention symptoms, and oppositional defiant disorder, but not by difficult temperament scores. CONCLUSION: This study provides support for Graham and Stevenson's hypothesis of continuity between specific temperament traits and certain child psychiatric disorders, namely ADHD and depressive disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Social networks, caregiver strain, and utilization of mental health services among elementary school students at high risk for ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores whether parental support networks vary by sociodemographic factors among children at high risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and whether network characteristics influence the receipt of mental health treatment for the child. METHOD: A school district-wide, two-phase screening study design was used to identify 266 children at high risk for ADHD. Parents completed standardized instruments assessing network structure and function, DSM-IV diagnoses of disruptive disorders, caregiver strain, and treatment receipt, and children self-reported internalizing symptoms. Relationships were examined with analysis of variance and multivariate prediction, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, psychopathology, and parental strain. RESULTS: Network characteristics varied by race and socioeconomic status (SES), but not by child gender. African-American and disadvantaged parents reported smaller network sizes, but more frequent contact and higher levels of support than their white and high-SES counterparts. High levels of instrumental support lowered the odds of ADHD treatment during the 12 months before (OR =.7, p <.001) and after (OR =.7, p <.001) the network assessment interview. In contrast, parental strain increased the likelihood of ADHD treatment during both periods. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should anticipate high levels of caregiver strain and low levels of instrumental support among their patients' parents and address the potential high need for respite care in treatment plans.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Agreement between CASA parent reports and provider records of children's ADHD services.

This study examines agreement between parental reports of children's ADHD outpatient services ascertained with the Child and Adolescents Services Assessment (CASA) and provider records among a sample of elementary school students who participated in an epidemiologically based health services study. Parental reports of any outpatient mental health treatment, services intensity, and medication regimens were compared to records of the specified mental health and primary care providers using intraclass correlations and kappa estimates. Results indicated that parental reports using the CASA produced valid data on whether any outpatient ADHD services had been received in the past 12 months (83% agreement), and on details of the child's medication regimens (kappas above 0.90), but that agreement was poor on how many times the child had been seen (intraclass correlation 0.29), without agreement differences by provider type. These findings support the validity of using parental report for ADHD services in primary care settings and for study of medication regimens.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Exploring help-seeking for ADHD symptoms: a mixed-methods approach.

OBJECTIVE: Gender and race differences in treatment rates for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are well documented but poorly understood. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines parental help-seeking steps for elementary school students at high risk for ADHD. METHODS: Parents of 259 students (male/female, African American/Caucasian) identified as being at high risk for ADHD completed diagnostic interviews and provided detailed accounts of help-seeking activities since they first became concerned about their child. Help-seeking steps (n=1,590) were analyzed using two methods: inductive analysis based on grounded theory, and deductive quantitative analysis of coded data derived from application of the network-episode model, merged subsequently with demographic and other characteristics. RESULTS: The inductive analysis revealed unique parental perceptions of their children's sick role and of the agents of identification and intervention for each of the four groups. Deductive analysis showed significant variations by race and gender in consultation experiences, in the person or entity being consulted and in the transactions occurring in the consultation, and in illness careers. CONCLUSION: ADHD symptoms are interpreted as having different implications for the sick role and the intervention, dependent on a child's gender and race. Educational interventions need to address cultural stereotypes contributing to inequitable access to treatment.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗