Oral 11

[O-11-06] Help-Seeking Comfort and Social Support Among Parents of Children with ADHD

*Luh Ayu Tirtayani¹, Iriani Indri Hapsari², Naila Kamaliya¹ (1.Universitas Brawijaya(Indonesia), 2.Universitas Negeri Jakarta(Indonesia))

Keywords:

ADHD,Content analysis,Help-seeking behavior,Social support,Parental stress

Parenting a child with ADHD presents significant challenges that often trigger anxiety, stress, and feelings of helplessness among parents. This issue has increasingly captured the attention of mental health practitioners and academics. However, existing research has primarily focused on intervention strategies aimed at children with ADHD, with fewer studies investigating the help-seeking behaviours of parents or their engagement with medical professionals and support networks. This study aims to explore the help-seeking behaviours and social support acceptance among parents of children with ADHD, specifically focusing on how these parents seek assistance and utilise resources within peer support groups. The participants were parents of children with ADHD who are members of the Komunitas Teman ADHD (KITA), which comprises 419 members from across Indonesia. While the community primarily interacts online, occasional face-to-face meetings are also conducted to address members' needs. The study employed a qualitative research design using content analysis in conjunction with focus group discussions (FGDs). Content analysis was used to identify the presence of words, themes, and concepts related to help-seeking behaviour and social support. FGDs were conducted with 15 parents who voluntarily participated. Open-ended questions were used to explore how parents recognised their child’s condition, made decisions to seek help, identified sources of information, and demonstrated openness to accepting and implementing advice. The analysis identified six major themes: anxiety about changing therapy approaches, expectations regarding therapeutic methods, experiences of stigma and discrimination, concerns about the child’s educational future, self-compassion, and the role of family support systems. Among these, anxiety related to therapy changes emerged as the most prominent theme. Parents also expressed concerns about societal stigma associated with their child’s condition, particularly in their efforts to find services that could optimise the child’s potential.