Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2
Department of Psychology, Counseling and Sociology, Khayyam University, Mashhad, Iran.
3
Department of Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4
Department of Educational Psychology and Personality, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
5
Department of Counseling and Psychology, Shahid Dadman Clinic, Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, Tehran, Iran. (Corresponding Author)
10.22038/mjms.2026.27741
Abstract
Introduction: The present study aimed to explain the lived experiences of Iranian mothers of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their encounters with health, education, family, and community systems, and to develop a local theory in this field.
Methods: This study was conducted with a qualitative approach using a data-based theory strategy (constructivist approach). Participants included 20 mothers of children with ADHD who were selected through purposive and then theoretical sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was performed simultaneously with collection and in three stages of initial, focused, and theoretical coding using MAXQDA software. Reliability criteria including participant review and co-coding were used to increase the validity of the findings.
Results: Data analysis resulted in the extraction of 65 open codes and 17 main categories in the form of a paradigmatic model. A central phenomenon was identified as the “multidimensional caregiving paradox,” which expresses mothers’ suspended lives between “romantic sacrifice” and “systemic conflict burnout.” Causal conditions, including diagnostic ambiguity and educational pressures, in the context of structural gaps and influenced by intervening conditions such as social judgments and family tensions, have led to the adoption of strategies such as the role of a shadow teacher, protective secrecy, and intersystemic mediation.
Conclusion: The final outcome of this process is identity transformation and a redefinition of the concept of success in mothers. The findings highlight the necessity of transitioning from a child-centered to a family-centered approach and promoting social awareness in the face of neurodiversity.
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