Wall, Alexandra;
(2025)
Understanding parents' experiences of help-seeking for a child who has ADHD / difficulties with attention, concentration, impulsivity and / or hyperactivity: A mixed-methods study.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Increased prevalence of Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses in children and young people have led to questions about how best to support this group. Recent media coverage of what has been termed a ‘SEND crisis’ and discussions at policy level about how local authorities can sustainably deliver effective support to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), have focussed attention on the difficulties that some families have experienced when trying to access support from professionals. A review of the Educational Psychologist (EP) workforce by the Department for Education highlighted an important role for EPs in mediating between health services, families and schools, but noted how growing public awareness around neurodiversity has led to an increase in requests for support, with insufficient resources to meet demand. This study aimed to explore parents’ experiences of seeking help for their child’s difficulties related to ADHD in order to suggest how EPs can provide the best support. Taking a mixed-methods approach to understanding parents’ help-seeking, through the critical lenses of critical realism and pragmatism, this study used insights from qualitative data obtained through fourteen semi-structured interviews that, when taken together with broader survey findings from a sample of forty parents, highlight how EPs can ensure their support is appropriate, helpful, and an effective use of resources. Results from a reflexive thematic analysis were explored within ecosystemic frameworks and found that family, environmental, and wider systemic factors shape both children’s difficulties and parental challenges in seeking support. An ADHD diagnosis is viewed by parents as aiding understanding and access to help, but obtaining this diagnosis is challenging, with unclear entry points, long waits, and unequal access. Being listened to by empathetic professionals was described as vital. These findings add to a body of literature on parental help-seeking, and may be used by local authorities to help design, commission and deliver more effective services for children and families affected by ADHD or related difficulties.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Understanding parents' experiences of help-seeking for a child who has ADHD / difficulties with attention, concentration, impulsivity and / or hyperactivity: A mixed-methods study |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211845 |
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