Determining the experiences of parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The photovoice method.

Purpose

To explore how parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) describe and visually represent their caregiving experiences through photovoice.

Design

AND

Methods

This qualitative descriptive study was conducted from May 15 to November 15, 2025, at the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinics of a state hospital. Twelve parents were recruited through purposive sampling until data saturation. Data were generated through participant-produced photographs, written explanations, individual photo-elicitation interviews, and group discussions. Visual and textual data were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis.

Results

Ten mothers and two fathers participated; the mean parent age was 39.8 years. Among the children, 66.7% were boys, and the mean age was 8.9 years. Four themes emerged: parenting burden and psychosocial difficulties, stigmatization, service access and home-life difficulties, and coping and resilience. Parents described constant supervision, emotional exhaustion, social exclusion, and efforts to manage systemic and social challenges.

Conclusions

Parents experienced interconnected caregiving burden, stigma, and service-related difficulties while drawing on coping and resilience. Photovoice made visible experiences that may be difficult to communicate verbally. The findings may inform family-centered pediatric nursing support. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Pediatric nurses may use these findings to assess caregiver strain, provide stigma-sensitive education, support care navigation, and facilitate referrals to psychosocial and peer-support services.