{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T17:47:02Z","timestamp":1790790422494,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]],"date-time":"2022-08-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1659484800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"\nBackground<\/jats:title>\nAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral childhood disorder. Children with ADHD are difficult to handle due to the symptoms causing great impairments such as inattention, hyperactivity compared to other childhood mental disorders. Having a child with ADHD is a stressful situation as it impacts the whole family. However, little is known about the experiences and challenges of parents caring for children with ADHD in low and middle-income countries such as Tanzania. Thus, this study explored the experiences and challenges of parents caring for children with ADHD in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nMethods<\/jats:title>\nWe conducted a qualitative descriptive study involving 16 parents of children with ADHD at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH). We used the purposive sampling technique to obtain the participants. In-depth interviews, using a semi-structured interview guide, were used to collect data. Audio-recorded data were transcribed, translated, and analysed using qualitative content analysis.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nResults<\/jats:title>\nParents experienced difficulties in handling the children whose level of functioning was impaired due to abnormal and disruptive behaviour such as not being able to follow parental instructions. Psychological problems were also experienced due to caring demands exacerbated by lack of support and stigma from the community. Moreover, there were disruptions in family functioning and social interactions among family members due to the children\u2019s behaviour. Lastly, too much time and family resources spent to fulfil the needs of these children culminated into disruption in economic activities that negatively affected everyday life.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n\nConclusion<\/jats:title>\nParents struggle to meet and cope with care demands posed by children with ADHD. The disruptive nature of ADHD symptoms presents a unique caring challenge different from those experienced with other childhood mental illnesses. To address these challenges, a collaborative approach among key stakeholders such as the government, health care professionals, and non-governmental organizations, is needed.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0267773","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]],"date-time":"2022-08-03T17:33:27Z","timestamp":1659548007000},"page":"e0267773","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Experiences and challenges of parents caring for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A qualitative study in Dar es salaam, Tanzania"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Charles Daud","family":"Ching\u2019oma","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dickson Ally","family":"Mkoka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2618-4410","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Joel Seme","family":"Ambikile","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Masunga Kidula","family":"Iseselo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0267773.ref001","first-page":"175","volume-title":"The Lancet Psychiatry","author":"K Sayal","year":"2018"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267773.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s13034-015-0033-z","article-title":"Cross-sectional survey on prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms at a tertiary care health facility in Nairobi","volume":"9","author":"S Wamithi","year":"2015","journal-title":"Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267773.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s13034-017-0155-6","article-title":"Prevalence and associated factors of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among Ugandan children; a cross-sectional study","volume":"11","author":"J Wamulugwa","year":"2017","journal-title":"Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267773.ref004","first-page":"10","article-title":"Family Functioning, Psychological Distress, and Well-Being in Parents with a Child Having ADHD","volume":"6","author":"\u00d8L Moen","year":"2016","journal-title":"SAGE Open"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267773.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1177\/2010105817714805","article-title":"Parenting practices of Singaporean mothers of children with ADHD","volume":"27","author":"A Nomanbhoy","year":"2018","journal-title":"Proc Singapore Healthc"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0267773.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.2989\/17280583.2017.1364253","article-title":"Challenges experienced by parents living with a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder","volume":"29","author":"M Mofokeng","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Child Adolesc Ment Heal"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0267773.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.1089\/tmj.2012.0108","article-title":"A study on the effectiveness of videoconferencing on teaching parent training skills to parents of children with ADHD","volume":"19","author":"Y Xie","year":"2013","journal-title":"Telemed e-Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267773.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.4102\/sajcd.v66i1.600","article-title":"The piloting of a specific support programme for grade R teachers on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The process of development","volume":"66","author":"M de Jongh","year":"2019","journal-title":"South African J Commun Disord"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0267773.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1186\/1753-2000-6-16","article-title":"Challenges of caring for children with mental disorders: Experiences and views of caregivers attending the outpatient clinic at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam\u2014Tanzania","volume":"6","author":"JS Ambikile","year":"2012","journal-title":"Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health [Internet]"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0267773.ref010","first-page":"1","article-title":"The experience of mothers and teachers of attention deficit \/ hyperactivity disorder children, and their management practices for the behaviors of the child a descriptive Phenomenological study","volume":"7","author":"L Harazni","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Educ Pract"},{"key":"pone.0267773.ref011","article-title":"Do parents of children with attention-deficit \/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) receive adequate information about the disorder and its treatments? 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