J Child Fam Stud DOI 10.1007/s10826-017-0868-4 ORIGINAL PAPER Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Group CBT for Parents of ADHD Children Daniel F. K. Wong 1 ● Ting Kin Ng 1 ● Priscilla S. Y. Ip 2 ● Mei Ling Chung 3 ● Joe Choi 4 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2017 Abstract Improvements in parenting skills do not neces- sarily lead to improvements in child and parent outcomes for children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Cognitive factors such as parental cognitions and parenting self-efficacy may influence such outcomes. Clin- ical research on the effects of cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) on parental cognitions, parenting self-efficacy and mental health in Chinese parents of children with ADHD is lacking. This quasi-experimental study intended to assess the effects of a culturally attuned group CBT treatment on the mental health and quality of life of Chinese parents aged 26–58 years, with children with ADHD in Hong Kong. Participants in the experimental group received group CBT and standard treatment and their counterparts in the control group received standard treatment. Primary outcome vari- ables of mental health and quality of life and process variables including parenting stress, parenting efficacy and dysfunctional attitudes were measured at baseline, post- treatment and 3-month follow-up. Data were analysed using 2 × 3 ANCOVAs, Cohen’s d statistics and multiple med- iation analyses. Group by time interactions were found for most outcome variables. Effect size statistics indicated that group CBT had small to moderate effects on most outcome variables at post-treatment and follow-up assessments. The effect of CBT on mental health was mediated by the reduction in parenting stress and the effect of CBT on quality of life was mediated by the reductions in parenting stress and dysfunctional attitudes. Given its potential ben- efit, it is worth considering incorporating this group CBT programme into interventions for Chinese parents with ADHD children. Keywords Cognitive-behaviour therapy ● Parenting stress ● Mental health ● Quality of life ● Chinese parents with an ADHD child Introduction Caring for a child with attention deficit hyperactivity dis- order (ADHD) can be challenging and stressful. A recent meta-analysis concluded that parents of children aged 12 years or younger with ADHD experienced higher parenting stress than did parents of typically developing children (Theule et al. 2013). A closer look at sources of parenting stress in parents of children with ADHD suggested that both hyperactive-impulsive and inattention symptoms were pre- dictive of parenting stress (Theule et al. 2011). Specifically, parenting stress was associated with having a child with ADHD who exhibited non-compliance, made heavy demands on parents’ time and had difficulty adapting to change (e.g., Harold et al. 2013). High parenting stress may adversely affect parent-child relationships (i.e., increase in parent-child conflicts), family practices and functioning (Whalen et al. 2002) as well as parents’ psychological health * Daniel F. K. Wong dfkwong@hku.hk 1 Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong 2 Department of Applied Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 3 Lutheran School Social Work Unit, Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, 5/F, 89 Chung Hau Street, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong 4 Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, 5/F, 89 Chung Hau Street, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong