Attitudes Toward Stimulant Treatment of Offspring of Adult Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The objective of this study was to investigate how adult patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder viewed the testing and use of stimulants in their children. Using a qualitative approach, we interviewed 32 outpatients from a special care unit of a university hospital. Emerging themes centered around concerns about the right age to test children and opinions about stimulant treatment ranging from unreserved agreement to reluctance, as well as the need for a shared decision with the child. Our results suggest that better psychoeducational programs are needed, especially for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, in which long-term consequences of the disorder, areas of impairment, and possible treatment effects in their children are explained and concerns about unknown side effects and the right time to test and treat are addressed.