Parents' Fear of Addiction, Education, Income, Child's Gender And
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2020 Parents’ Fear of Addiction, Education, Income, Child’s Gender and Perception of Stimulants Rosi Albuquerque-Shain Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Rosi Albuquerque-Shain has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Jesus Tanguma, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Arcella Trimble, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Michael Plasay, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2020 Abstract Parents’ Fear of Addiction, Education, Income, Child’s Gender and Perception of Stimulants by Rosi Albuquerque-Shain MS, University of Phoenix 2010 BS, Cidade University, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University February 2020 Abstract Research has indicated that the use of stimulant medication in the treatment of attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children has increased in the last decades. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding parents’ perceptions of stimulants in the treatment of ADHD symptoms. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between parents’ fear of addiction, parental level of education, household income, and gender of the child, and parents’ perception of stimulant medication to address the symptoms of ADHD in children 6-8 years old. The theory of reasoned action was used to provide an appropriate lens to this study because this theory holds that attitudes and beliefs influence behaviors. Data were collected from 394 parents who reported having a child between ages 6 and 8 diagnosed with ADHD. The participants completed the Treatment Evaluation Inventory and a demographics survey on Survey Monkey website. Binomial logistic regression analysis revealed significant findings in that fear of addiction and household income impacted parents’ perceptions of stimulant medication to treat ADHD symptoms. However, analysis of the predictors parents’ level of education and gender of the child were found to be not significant. The findings may guide future research to examine and determine more ways to help parents who do not have access to credible information to understand the benefits and contra-indications of different types of treatment available to address ADHD symptoms. Parents’ Fear of Addiction, Education, Income, Child’s Gender and Perception of Stimulants by Rosi Albuquerque-Shain MS, University of Phoenix 2010 BS, Cidade University, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University February 2020 Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my late parents, Geraldo C. de Albuquerque and Sebastiana P. de Albuquerque. I am sure I have made both of you proud, and I wish you were here to celebrate this important accomplishment with me. I love you and miss you both more than words can describe. I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to my husband, Robert J. Shain Jr. Although you went through a lot, you have been there for me with words of encouragement and support. Your understanding and willingness to give me the time I needed to research and write made this dissertation process less painful. I love you, and I am forever grateful for all you have done to make this degree possible. I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to my children, Thiago and Gilberto, my daughters-in-law Sarah and Jocelyn, and my grandchildren, Brooklynn, Victor, Kaiden, Damien, Theo, and Victoria, my brother, Roberto Albuquerque, and my sister-in- law, Maria Albuquerque, for listening to me when I was frustrated and for giving me words of motivation to complete this degree. You probably did not realize it, but many of your questions and observations helped me to organize my thoughts around this study. I love you all, and I am grateful for your support and caring. Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Jesus Tanguma for guiding and supporting me throughout this dissertation journey. At the beginning of this project, you started as the Second Committee Member, but you did not hesitate to step on and take over the Committee Chair role when we went through all the committee changes. I have learned a lot from you, and I appreciate your availability and patience to help me to understand my research data better every time we spoke over the phone. I am able to say that you helped me to understand and appreciate statistics! I want to thank you for embracing this journey and guiding me towards my degree. I also want to acknowledge and thank Dr. Arcella Trimble for agreeing to be part of this committee after changes took place. You gave me the support and guidance I needed to discuss the findings of this study and make it scholarly. You are not afraid to share your wisdom and use it to guide your students to success. You are an inspiration, and I said that numerous times during my residency in Minneapolis and when I was part of your group in the Atlanta Colloquium. Thank you for being part of this journey and adding your contribution to this degree. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Michael Plasay for your help and guidance as my URR. I will not forget that this topic was chosen after I presented a project in your Psychopharmacology class in Minneapolis. “That was Nice!!!” Finally, I would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. Magy Martin for your help during the early stages of my dissertation. Your help and suggestions helped me to understand and look at this process from a different perspective. I am thankful for that. I am honored to have met all of you! Table of Contents List of Tables.................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ...............................................................................................................vii Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ................................................................................ 1 Background of the Study ............................................................................................ 2 Parents’ Fear of Addiction ...................................................................................3 Parents’ Level of Education .................................................................................4 Household Income ...............................................................................................4 Gender of the Child ..............................................................................................5 The Gap in Knowledge ........................................................................................5 Problem Statement ..................................................................................................... 6 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................. 6 Research Questions and Hypotheses .......................................................................... 7 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 9 Nature of the Study .................................................................................................. 10 Definitions and Key Terms ...................................................................................... 11 Assumptions ............................................................................................................ 13 Scope and Delimitations .......................................................................................... 13 Limitations .............................................................................................................. 15 Significance of the Study ......................................................................................... 16 Significance to Theory ....................................................................................... 16 Significance to Practice ...................................................................................... 16 Significance to Social Change ............................................................................ 17 i Summary ................................................................................................................. 17 Chapter 2: Literature Review ......................................................................................... 19 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 19 Literature Search Strategy .......................................................................................