The formation process of the Maternal Attachment in mothers of children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

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The present research aimed to elucidate the developmental processes of maternal attachment in mothers of elementary school children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Semi-structured interviews were conduced on 12 mothers of children with ADHD. During interviews, mothers were asked about their parenting, their children's behavior, and their emotional experiences. Mothers experienced negative emotions and applied strict disciplinary practices in response to problem behaviors, whereas they felt positive emotions toward children when the children acted obedient or cute. These results indicated that mothers had ambivalent feelings toward children. Maternal attachment was most critical after children start elementary school because of increasing difficulties related to problem behavior. However, following the diagnosis of ADHD, the recognition of problem behaviors and parenting skills improved, thus enhancing maternal attachment. Because mothers could understand the cause of the problem behaviors, they studied methods for coping with the children's problem behaviors.