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Abstract Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has manifestations of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects every facet of a child’s life, including one’s own emotions, family and school life, and social interaction. The few available studies on ADHD conducted in Ethiopia focus on teachers’ awareness and the prevalence of ADHD. None of these studies has taken into account parents of children who have ADHD. The present study, therefore, aimed to find out the challenges and coping mechanisms of parents who have children with ADHD. Methods A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to explore the experiences of parents who have children with ADHD. The study was carried out in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Fourteen parents and two healthcare providers were involved in the study. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of children with ADHD (n = 8) and healthcare providers (n = 2). One focus group discussion (FGD), consisting of six members, was also conducted with parents. A topic guide for conducting the interviews and FGD was developed. Interviews and the FGD were audio-recorded. The data were transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and then analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results With regard to challenges of parents of children with ADHD, three themes emerged: social challenges, economic challenges and psychological challenges. Stigma is found to be the most common challenge. Other challenges included worry about the child’s future, lack of social support, strained relationships with others, impact on their job, and marital conflict. Concerning coping mechanisms, two themes emerged: Inward and outward means of coping. The inward means of coping included prayer and developing an optimistic mindset whereas the outward means were family support, healthcare providers’ guidance, and social avoidance. Conclusions The study found that parents of children with ADHD experience several aspects of psychological, social, and economic challenges. Support from healthcare professionals, family members, and the community at large is found to be useful for parents to cope with these challenges. Future research should focus on evaluating interventions that would help parents with ADHD cope with the challenges they experience.

Abstract Background The prevalence of depression in medical students was greater than in the general population. Knowing of predictive factors for depression among medical students is useful. The objectives of this study included the assessment of personality traits as well as the association between the personality traits and the presence of symptoms of depression, and suicidal ideation among medical students covering several regions of Thailand. Methods From April to July 2023, a cross-section study was conducted. The participants included first to sixth-year medical students studying at three Faculties of Medicine in Thailand; Prince of Songkla University; Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University; and Chiang Mai University. Using the online process, the questionnaires were composed of three sections; demographic data; the International Personality Item Pool-NEO (IPIP-NEO), Thai version; and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Thai version. Demographics, personality traits, depression, and suicidal ideation were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results were presented as frequency, mean, and standard deviation (SD) or median and interquartile range (IQR). The association between independent variables and the presence of depression was identified using binary logistic regression analysis, and the association with suicidal ideation was identified using ordinal logistic regression analysis. Results The 868 medical students participated in this study. Most of them were female (63.5%), Buddhist (82.0%), and first-year medical students (31.8%). The mean age (SD) was 20.8 (2.2) years, and the mean cumulative Grade Point Average (SD) was 3.5 (0.4). They reported the median (IQR) score of PHQ-9 as 6.0 (3.0–9.0), 238 participants (27.4%) presented with depression, and 138 (15.9%) participants reported suicidal ideation. According to the IPIP-NEO, participants with depression or suicidal ideation had higher Neuroticism scores and lower Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness scores compared to those without such issues. An increase in the Neuroticism score was linked to higher odds of depression, while an increase in the Conscientiousness score was associated with lower odds of depression. Suicidal ideation significantly increased with higher Neuroticism scores and the presence of a psychiatric illness. Conclusions More than a quarter of Thai medical students reported depression. A higher Neuroticism and lower Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness scores related to depression. Therefore, medical schools may benefit from knowing medical students’ personality traits, to identify coping mechanisms and predict those at a higher risk of developing depression in the future.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has manifestations of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects every facet of a child's life, including one's own emotions, family and school life, and social interaction. The few available studies on ADHD conducted in Ethiopia focus on teachers' awareness and the prevalence of ADHD. None of these studies has taken into account parents of children who have ADHD. The present study, therefore, aimed to find out the challenges and coping mechanisms of parents who have children with ADHD. Methods: A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to explore the experiences of parents who have children with ADHD. The study was carried out in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Fourteen parents and two healthcare providers were involved in the study. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of children with ADHD (n = 8) and healthcare providers (n = 2). One focus group discussion (FGD), consisting of six members, was also conducted with parents. A topic guide for conducting the interviews and FGD was developed. Interviews and the FGD were audio-recorded. The data were transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and then analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: With regard to challenges of parents of children with ADHD, three themes emerged: social challenges, economic challenges and psychological challenges. Stigma is found to be the most common challenge. Other challenges included worry about the child's future, lack of social support, strained relationships with others, impact on their job, and marital conflict. Concerning coping mechanisms, two themes emerged: Inward and outward means of coping. The inward means of coping included prayer and developing an optimistic mindset whereas the outward means were family support, healthcare providers' guidance, and social avoidance. Conclusions: The study found that parents of children with ADHD experience several aspects of psychological, social, and economic challenges. Support from healthcare professionals, family members, and the community at large is found to be useful for parents to cope with these challenges. Future research should focus on evaluating interventions that would help parents with ADHD cope with the challenges they experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of depression in medical students was greater than in the general population. Knowing of predictive factors for depression among medical students is useful. The objectives of this study included the assessment of personality traits as well as the association between the personality traits and the presence of symptoms of depression, and suicidal ideation among medical students covering several regions of Thailand. Methods: From April to July 2023, a cross-section study was conducted. The participants included first to sixth-year medical students studying at three Faculties of Medicine in Thailand; Prince of Songkla University; Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University; and Chiang Mai University. Using the online process, the questionnaires were composed of three sections; demographic data; the International Personality Item Pool-NEO (IPIP-NEO), Thai version; and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Thai version. Demographics, personality traits, depression, and suicidal ideation were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results were presented as frequency, mean, and standard deviation (SD) or median and interquartile range (IQR). The association between independent variables and the presence of depression was identified using binary logistic regression analysis, and the association with suicidal ideation was identified using ordinal logistic regression analysis. Results: The 868 medical students participated in this study. Most of them were female (63.5%), Buddhist (82.0%), and first-year medical students (31.8%). The mean age (SD) was 20.8 (2.2) years, and the mean cumulative Grade Point Average (SD) was 3.5 (0.4). They reported the median (IQR) score of PHQ-9 as 6.0 (3.0–9.0), 238 participants (27.4%) presented with depression, and 138 (15.9%) participants reported suicidal ideation. According to the IPIP-NEO, participants with depression or suicidal ideation had higher Neuroticism scores and lower Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness scores compared to those without such issues. An increase in the Neuroticism score was linked to higher odds of depression, while an increase in the Conscientiousness score was associated with lower odds of depression. Suicidal ideation significantly increased with higher Neuroticism scores and the presence of a psychiatric illness. Conclusions: More than a quarter of Thai medical students reported depression. A higher Neuroticism and lower Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness scores related to depression. Therefore, medical schools may benefit from knowing medical students' personality traits, to identify coping mechanisms and predict those at a higher risk of developing depression in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]