Elsevier

Journal of Pediatric Nursing

Volume 20, Issue 4, July–August 2005, Pages 235-245
Journal of Pediatric Nursing

Article
Self-Perception in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2005.02.012Get rights and content

The purpose of this study was to compare self-perceptions of children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with those of children not diagnosed with ADHD. Seventy-seven children aged 8–12 years composed the two groups—38 participants with ADHD and 39 control participants without ADHD. The children completed the Self-Perception Profile for Children Questionnaire designed to measure self-perceptions in school-aged children. t Tests compared differences in mean scores between the groups. The ADHD group had a significantly lower overall score and a lower score on the behavioral conduct subscale compared with children without ADHD. Findings suggest a difference in the way school-aged children with ADHD perceive themselves as compared with their peers. The cumulative effect of years of low self-esteem and negative self-perception may have significant life consequences. Attention should be focused on fostering self-esteem and positive self-perception in children with ADHD through support groups and behavioral training.

Section snippets

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the self-perceptions of children aged 8–12 years who have been diagnosed with ADHD compared with those of children of the same age from the general population in the following domains: (a) scholastic competence; (b) social acceptance; (c) athletic competence; (d) physical appearance; (e) behavioral conduct; and (f) global self-worth.

Literature Review

Barkley (1998) determined that there are four main skill deficits experienced by children with ADHD. These include (a) social entry, (b) conversational skills, (c) conflict resolution/problem solving, and (d) anger control. Because skills such as sitting still, listening, obeying, cooperating, sharing, following directions, and completing assignments are such an integral part of being successful in school and because these skills are those least perfected by children with ADHD, these children

Design and Sample

This research used a nonexperimental design to compare two independent sample groups in their responses to a self-perception questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used to recruit one group (n = 38; Group 1) consisting of school-aged children (ages, 8–12 years) diagnosed with ADHD by a licensed medical doctor or psychologist according to the DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) and a second group (n = 39; Group 2) consisting of children in the same age group with no

Results

Seventy-seven children between the ages of 8 and 12 years participated in this study. Forty-eight participants were recruited from a pediatric office (9 children with ADHD, 39 control subjects), and the remaining participants were accessed through a state-funded nonprofit health agency for the medically underserved (29 children with ADHD, no control subjects).

Discussion

These findings indicate that children with ADHD perceive themselves differently than other children their age, and it is the perception of their behavior that stands out as the most apparent difference. Questions on the behavioral conduct subscale address how children feel about their behavior, if they feel that they usually act the way they are supposed to, and whether they feel that they get into trouble for their behavior. A lower score on this subscale by children with ADHD makes sense when

Summary

Overall, the results of this study indicate that school-aged children with ADHD perceive themselves differently than those without ADHD. The behavior domain is the main area in which children with this disorder recognize the most difference from their peers. It is critical that children with this disorder be accurately identified and that interventions be aimed at instilling confidence, improving skills that are lacking, and encouraging an outlet for the acceptable expression of feelings.

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      Furthermore, many secondary consequences of ADHD could serve as mediators of downstream psychological impairments. Of particular note is that individuals with ADHD may suffer reduced self esteem, perhaps secondary to peer rejection or academic or occupational difficulties (Hoza et al., 2004; Barber, Grubbs, & Cottrell, 2005; Rucklidge, Brown, Crawford, & Kaplan, 2007; but for a negative finding see Ek, Westerlund, Holmberg, & Fernell, 2008). This issue of self-esteem intersects with complex findings about the nature of attributions in children with ADHD that are quite interesting but well beyond the scope of the current review (Hoza et al., 2004; Owens et al., 2007; Evangelista, Owens, Golden, & Pelham, 2008; Swanson, Owens, & Hinshaw, 2012).

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