Comparison of Depression and Burnout Levels of Mothers of Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Before and After Treatment

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the depression and burnout levels of mothers of children having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between the child's pre- and posttreatment periods. METHOD: The study sample consisted of 40 children aged between 4 and 10 years and their mothers. Initially, 40 cases participated, but during the follow-up, 19 cases dropped out. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and the Turgay DSM-IV Based Child and Adolescent Behaviour Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV-S) were used. RESULTS: Among the mothers, posttreatment BDI scores, MBI-emotional exhaustion, and personal accomplishment were significantly lower than the pretreatment scores. In the treatment's second month, all T-DSM-IV-S subscale scores showed a statistically significant decrease. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that treatment of children with ADHD would have a favorable impact on their mothers' depressive symptoms, which would consequently decrease negative parental attitudes, hence reducing the risk of behavioral disorder in children with ADHD and exerting a positive effect on their treatment.