Do People Think ADHD Is Caused by Poor Parenting?

A new survey reveals some astonishing perceptions.

The perceptions of over 1000 parents were revealed in an online survey conducted in a collaborative effort by Parents Magazine and New York’s Child Mind Institute, a treatment center for children with mental health issues (http://www.parents.com/kids/health/childrens-mental-health/child-mind-institute-survey-results).

While the perceptions often don’t reflect actuality, they do offer a glimpse into the average American’s mind regarding ADHD. Poor parenting does not cause ADHD. It can, however, exacerbate the condition.

Other interesting results:

96% of parents said… They would want their child’s pediatrician to tell them if he thought their child should be evaluated for a psychiatric or learning disorder.

83% of parents said… They would want their child’s teacher to tell them if he thought their child should be evaluated for a psychiatric or learning disorder.

74% of parents said… Kids are often put on medication as a quick and easy fix.

72% of parents said… Doctors and parents are too quick to put kids on medication for ADHD rather than looking for other solutions.

63% of parents said… Too many children are being diagnosed with ADHD when they just have behavioral issues.

52% of parents said… Starting kids on medication so young in life is dangerous.

50% of parents said… Many doctors downplay the risks associated with putting kids on medication to treat ADHD and depression.

45% of parents said… Normal children are being labeled as mentally ill or having learning disorders simply because their teachers can’t handle them.

45% of parents said… Kids with learning disorders tend to have other behavioral issues that hamper their learning.

32% of parents said… ADHD is sometimes more a result of insufficient or absent parenting rather than a true medical condition.

16% of parents said… Kids who take medication now are more prone to drug or alcohol addiction later in life.

13% of parents said… ADHD should not be treated as a medical condition, but rather as a behavioral issue that can be corrected with discipline.

10% of parents said… Extended time on standardized tests give children with learning disorders an unfair advantage.

6% of parents said… Psychiatric or learning disorders are more common in single parent families.

Obviously, true ADHD is not caused by poor parenting although poor parenting can exacerbate the problem.

However, I must agree, and research bears this out, that too many children are being diagnosed with ADHD when other problems are really the cause.

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