Impact of Medication on Performance of Household Chores by Children with ADHD

Abstract

Objective: To investigate associations between ADHD medication and household chore performance by children with ADHD. Methods: A parent questionnaire collected information about the adequacy and quality of their child’s performance of two self-care and six family-care chores. Parent perceptions of ADHD medication effect duration were used to identify children with after-school medication benefits (ASMB). Mann-Whitney U tests compared children with and without ASMB across measures of chore performance. Results: A total of 565 parents of children with ADHD that regularly take medication completed the questionnaire. Children with ASMB were more likely to meet parental expectations for five of eight household chores and were more likely to be able to independently complete both self-care and family-care chores than those without ASMB. No differences were noted regarding their need for reminders or assistance with chores. Conclusion: Improvement in chore performance may be an additional consideration with respect to medication selection for children with ADHD.