Prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms among caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder attending a tertiary care facility: a cross-sectional analytical study from Muscat, Oman

ABSTRACT

A number of studies suggested that the rates of depression in Euro-American populations are higher among caregivers of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than typically developing children. There is a dearth of studies in this field among non-Western populations. This study attempts to explore the depressive symptoms’ prevalence and predictors among a systematic random sample of caregivers of children with a diagnosis of ADHD who sought consultation from a child and adolescent mental health services unit in Muscat. The prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms were quantified using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Results showed that depressive symptoms are common among caregivers of children with ADHD in Oman. A binary regression analysis revealed that low income, being the only caregiver in the family and hyperactive/impulsive and combined types of ADHD were significant predictors of depression.

KEYWORDS:

• Depressive symptoms
• Patient Healthcare Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
• attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• caregivers depression
• Oman

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all participations in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes of contributors

Naser Al-Balushi, Muna Al Shekaili and Mohammed Al-Alawi were responsible for the design of the study and the acquisition of the data. Sathiya Murthi Panchatcharam and Mohammed Al-Alawi and Manal Al-Balushi contributed to the statistical analysis. Naser Al Balushi, Muna Al Shekaili and Samir Al-Adawi were responsible for interpretation and writing of the results. The initial draft of the manuscript was prepared by Naser Al Balushi, Muna Al Shekaili, Samir Al-Adawi and Manal Al-Balushi then circulated repeatedly among all authors for critical revision.

ORCID

Naser Al Balushi http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7135-5103

Mohammed Al-Alawi http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6388-5377

Samir Al-Adawi http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9858-5582