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Research has supported the notion that gender plays a significant role in coping and mental health outcome among parents of children with ASD. The current study aims to examine gender role in the relationship between mental health outcome and coping in parents of children with ASD in Singapore. This study involved 97 fathers and 106 mothers of children with ASD completing self-report questionnaires. MANOVA revealed mothers experienced significantly higher stress levels than fathers. Stress was a significant predictor of depression for fathers but not for mothers. Regression analyses found use of active avoidance coping moderated the relationship between stress and depression in both parents. Implications of these findings on intervention are discussed.

This study explores the issue of problem phone use, and the role of emotion regulation and impulsivity in problematic mobile phone use. We also attempt to study this issue from a machine learning perspective. Feature selection and classification form the basis of machine learning. They complement each other to solve many challenging computer vision, prediction, and classification problem. Rarely has this method been experimented in the context of psychological data. The current study presents a unique comparative approach to examine the relationship between problematic mobile phone use, impulsivity and emotional dysregulation using machine learning’s methodology. The data in this study were collected from 209 University undergraduates, of which 72 are males and 137 are females (M = 21.98 years old, SD = 3.873) using an online survey. The survey includes three questionnaires, namely Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ). We present and discuss results obtained using five different feature selection and classification algorithms. The feature selection algorithms come to a consensus that the main contributing factors for problem phone use are due to (i) dependency issue, (ii) financial issue, and (iii) dangerous use. The classification results show consistent accuracy over several performance matrices. The classification hit rate is in the range of 88 to 99%.

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between motor performance; attentional, hyperactive, and impulsive symptoms; and social problems. Correlations between parents’ versus teachers’ ratings of social problems and ADHD symptomatology were also examined. Method: A total of 129 children aged 9 to 12 years were included. ADHD symptoms and social problems were identified based on Conners’ Rating Scales–Revised: L, and the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development was used to assess motor skills. Results: After controlling for ADHD symptomatology, motor skills remained a significant predictor of social problems in the teacher model but not in the parent model. After controlling for motor skills, inattentive (not hyperactive-impulsive) symptoms were a significant predictor of social problems in the parent model, whereas hyperactive-impulsive (not inattentive) symptoms were a significant predictor of social problems in the teacher model. Conclusion: The findings suggested that intervention strategies should consider the interaction between symptoms and environmental contexts.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) arising from a Western health model has generated much global debate about its relevance in Indigenous communities. More importantly, it has raised questions concerning acceptance of its diagnosis and intervention, hence affecting early identification and treatment compliance. The current study explored an Aboriginal perspective of diagnosis and treatment compliance of ADHD in an Australian Aboriginal community. Using a qualitative approach, 27 participants aged between 22 and 52 years from a Western Australian metropolitan Aboriginal community comprising community members, Aboriginal mental health and education professionals, and Aboriginal parents of children with ADHD, were interviewed either individually or in groups. Participants identified differences in child rearing practices, expectation of child behaviour in school, higher tolerance of hyperactive behaviour within the Aboriginal community and lack of information about ADHD as the main reasons for parents not seeking medical help for the child. Participants also saw the changes in a child's behaviour after medication as a loss of identity/self and this was reported to be the main contributor to treatment non-compliance. Overall, most participants recognised the detrimental effect of having ADHD. However, the current diagnostic process and treatment are not culturally appropriate to assist the Aboriginal community to effectively manage this disorder in their children.

[Extract] The diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been based on a western concept of health, a concern when considering a non-western culture such as Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The lack of statistical data on the extent of ADHD in the Aboriginal community is another concern, a situation similar to many other mental health problems in the Indigenous population. Furthermore, no Australian studies have mentioned specific information on the prevalence of ADHD in Aboriginal communities. The WA Aboriginal Child Health Survey, however, reported that Aboriginal children had a higher risk of hyperactivity problems (15.8%) when compared to 9.7% for non-Aboriginal children (Zubrick et al., 2005).

This study explored the cognitive performance of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and/or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV. Participants were 62 children with ages between 9 years 8 months and 12 years 7 months. These children were placed into one of the four groups: Comparison (n=26), ADHD (n=14), DCD (n=11), and ADHD+DCD (n=11) groups. The ADHD symptoms were assessed using the Australian Disruptive Behaviours Scale, and motor ability was assessed using the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND). Significantly poorer perceptual reasoning ability was seen in DCD and ADHD+DCD groups but not in the ADHD group. The findings provide evidence that a deficit in visuo-spatial ability may underlie DCD but not ADHD. These findings revealed different cognitive profiles for ADHD and/or DCD, thus the current study does not lend support to the common aetiology hypothesis in understanding the basis of ADHD and DCD comorbidity.

The concurrent validity of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) and the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND) was investigated in an Australian sample of 38 girls and 91 boys aged 9–12 years (M = 11.15, SD = 0.81). The MAND identified 44 children with motor impairment (MI) and 85 children without MI. The overall decision agreement between the two measures in identifying MI was .64. The DCDQ had a sensitivity of .55 and a specificity of .74. The DCDQ was accurate in identifying children with moderate or severe MI but identified less than half of the children with mild MI.