Date of Award

5-1-2024

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

School of Social Welfare

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Anne E. Ricky Fortune

Committee Members

Mary McCarthy, Choong Rai Nho

Subject Categories

Social Work

Abstract

Parents of children with ADHD were found to struggle with additional demands in caregiving. Immigrant populations reported acculturative stress as they encountered immigration stressors, including language barriers, cultural differences, lack of social support, discrimination, and so forth. Belonging to both social groups, Korean immigrant parents of children with ADHD are likely to face numerous stressors and undergo a great deal of stress. Nevertheless, little has been known about how they experience stress and coping. It is important to identify their experiences because the knowledge can be used to support their well-being and quality of life. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate in-depth the experiences of coping with stress in caregiving among Korean immigrant parents of children with ADHD. A multiple case study was employed to identify both similarities and differences in their experiences. Purposive sampling was utilized to locate study participants. Recruitment took place at a family counseling center in New Jersey that serves Korean immigrant families. Seven weekly sessions of group psychoeducation and a free ADHD workshop were provided at the center to elicit research participation. Seven Korean immigrant parents of a child with ADHD who agreed to participate became study participants. This study used multiple data collection methods, including a brief background questionnaire, observations, focus group interviews, and individual interviews. Data analysis followed multiple case study principles including within and cross-case analyses. NVivo, qualitative data analysis software, was used to organize the database and assist with analysis. Findings suggested that while the parents each had a unique history of caregiving and immigration, there were similarities in their experiences, with active coping at their core. The experiences of stress and coping among Korean immigrant parents of a child with ADHD consisted of six common themes: 1) constantly struggling with simultaneous multiple stressors; 2) having a variety of intense stress responses; 3) undergoing negative impacts on personal well-being; 4) encountering both coping resources and obstacles at multiple levels; 5) exerting coping efforts at multiple levels; and 6) recognizing both positive changes and negative consequences at multiple levels. As time progressed, Korean immigrant parents of a child with ADHD moved forward with active coping, using positive changes as a new source of coping and reflecting on negative outcomes to modify their ineffective coping. Findings imply the ongoing and evolving nature of their coping process, suggesting the importance of existing strengths and positive changes in each system that sustain active coping. The knowledge should inform the development of culturally competent clinical services and government policies. Future studies can be extended to immigrant parents of children with ADHD who come from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

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