Aim: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects not only children’s mental health but also their parents’ psychological well-being. This study examined the impact of ADHD treatment on children’s symptoms and the quality of life (QoL) of their caregivers.Materials and Methods: The study involved 100 children aged 6 to 17 who were newly diagnosed with ADHD and starting treatment, along with their 100 primary caregivers. Children were evaluated usingthe Conners’ Parent Rating Scale–Revised: Long Form (CPRS-RL), while caregivers were assessed with the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Scale, Hamilton Anxiety (HAM-A), and Depression (HAM-D) Scales. Mental status examinations and assessments were conducted at treatment initiation and repeated after three months.Results: A statistically significant reduction was observed in CPRS-RL scores after three months of treatment (z = -8.385, p 0.001). No significant difference was found in symptom reduction between those receiving stimulant versus non-stimulant medications (p = 0.541). Caregivers showed statistically significant improvements in all SF-36 subdomains after three months (p 0.001). When SF-36 score changes were compared according to the ADHD subtype of the children, significant differences remained between the inattentive and hyperactive (p 0.001), and inattentive and combined type groups (p 0.017), while no significant difference was observed between the hyperactive and combined type groups (p 0.017). No significant changes were found in caregivers’ HAM-A or HAM-D scores over the three months (p = 0.211 and p = 0.562, respectively).Conclusions: ADHD treatment—regardless of medication type—significantly reduces children’s symptom severity and improves caregivers’ QoL. Although anxiety and depression levels in caregivers remained unchanged, QoL improvements are likely due to symptom relief in children. Therefore, the early diagnosis of ADHD and the initiation of treatment as soon as possible are critically important for both reducing the symptoms in children and improving the QoL of their parents.
Selçuk et al. (Fri,) studied this question.