Behavior and Academic performance in adolescents with ADHD in the home environment

Abstract

Background: During the COVID pandemic, children and adolescents with ADHD had to struggle with a lack of structure and routine, resulting in an increase in irritability, oppositionality and challenging behaviours.

Aim: To assess the behaviour, academic performance, and problematic internet use in adolescents with ADHD in the home environment and stress coping strategies in their parents.

Methodology: A total of 96 adolescents with ADHD (11-17 years) were recruited after exclusion and inclusion criteriaand were assessed either physically in the OPD or telephonically along with their parents for the purpose of assessing behaviour and academic performance, problematic internet use in the adolescents with ADHD in the home environment during Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and difficulties faced by their parents and stress coping strategies used by them using various assessment scales.

Results: Twenty-three (24.0%) were diagnosed with Hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, 18 (18.8%) with inattentive symptoms and 55 (57.3%) with combined type ADHD. The SAICA showed that the problems were more prevalent in males under the 14-17 age group. The problematic internet use and excessive internet use in the home during lockdown were found in two-thirds of the adolescents with ADHD (67.7%). The maximum number of parents had active coping, which depicts their adaptive behaviour  ( 22.14 ± 3.19), compared to the parents who had maladaptive behaviour (12.24 ± 1.65).

Conclusion -From the current study, it was concluded that during the pandemic, the adolescents with ADHD faced many behavioural issues and problems in academic performance, which differed with socio-demographic data.