Parents’ perceptions of the long‐term appropriateness of a psychosocial intervention for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Background/aim: Designing psychosocial interventions that parents perceive as appropriate is essential to enhancing their engagement with the intervention and their long‐term use of the intervention strategies. The aim of this study was to explore the long‐term appropriateness of a play‐based psychosocial intervention for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from the perspectives of parents. Methods: Semi‐structured phone interviews were conducted with 14 parents of children with ADHD who participated in a randomised controlled trial of the play‐based intervention 1 year earlier. Results: Thematic analysis led to the development of three core‐themes: (i) Everybody needs a parenting handbook, (ii) No one thing you are dealing with, and (iii) A different approach: Reframing. Discussion: The core‐themes related back to a definition of intervention appropriateness that acknowledges the intervention as important/relevant, beneficial, socially and ecologically valid and promotes sustainable change, indicating parents perceived the intervention as appropriate. The core‐themes also resembled aspects of the process of family adaptation. Findings highlight the importance of designing interventions that are appropriate from parents’ perspectives to enhance their long‐term engagement and use of the intervention strategies as well as outcomes for their child in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]