Parental Perceived Benefits of OROS-Methylphenidate Treatment for the Child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and for Parents Themselves.

Introduction: Given the shortage of studies on parental perceived benefits of OROS-methylphenidate treatment in Asian populations, we assessed parental response to OROS-methylphenidate treatment of Korean children with attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in relation to children's academic performance and behavioral symptoms as well as parental rearing stress and depressive symptoms. Methods: We enrolled 132 medication-naïve children with ADHD into a multicenter, openlabel, 12-week trial of OROS-MPH. The outcome measures were the ADHD rating scale-IV (ADHDRS), the comprehensive attention test and academic performance rating scale, and the clinical global impression (CGI)- severity/improvement instrument (for the children) and Beck depression inventory and parenting stress index (for their parents). Results: We found parent-perceived improvements in children's ADHD-related behavioral symptoms and academic function and their parents' depressive symptoms and parenting stress. Investigator-rated ADHD symptoms and subjects' neuropsychological function were also improved (p < 0.001). Discussion: Parents of Korean children with ADHD perceive that OROS-methylphenidate treatment improves their children's academic function and behavior as well as their own childrearing stress and emotional state. These findings must be interpreted with caution, due to a non-comparative open-label trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]