Remote Learning and Stress in Mothers of Students with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder during the Covid-19 Lockdown

Oct 15, 2026

The study examines how Covid-19 lockdowns and remote learning affected mothers of children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focusing on technical and spatial preconditions and the quality of support during the first lockdown. Using an online questionnaire with 61 mothers aged 30–53, it evaluates academic accommodation in teaching, mothers’ burden with school tasks, and how symptom intensity relates to maternal stress. Results show unsuitable spaces, non-adapted materials, insufficient teacher interaction, and statistically significant stress effects from attention symptoms, lack of accommodations, and school workload.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Remote learning context and online learning effectiveness factors

Impact of lockdown routines on children with disabilities

DOI: [https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1496](https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1496) Remote Learning and Stress in Mothers of Students with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder during the Covid-19 Lockdown Daniela Cvitković*1, Ana Wagner Jakab2 and Jasmina Stošić2 • The Covid-19 lockdown and the implementation of remote learning brought challenges to children with ADHD and their parents. This research aimed to examine the spatial and technical preconditions and quality of support for children with ADHD during remote learning and to determine their mothers’ burdens with the children’s school tasks during the first lockdown. Another aim was to determine the degree of academic accommodation of teaching, the mother’s burden with the school tasks, and the impact of the intensity of the children’s difficulties on mothers’ stress levels. The study had 61 mothers of children with ADHD, aged 30 to 53, as participants. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. The perspective of mothers showed that spatial conditions were not appropriate for holding online classes. Furthermore, teaching materials during online classes were not adapted to the child’s needs, teachers did not send teaching materials through the available online services in a proper manner, and more than a third of the mothers stated that there was no interactive teaching at all and that there was no individual contact with teachers. Most mothers state that they are burdened with the child’s school tasks more than compared to the period before the lockdown. It has also been shown that attention symptoms, lack of academic accommodations, and school workload have statistically significant effects on maternal stress. Keywords: ADHD, remote learning, stress in mothers, Covid-19 lockdown 1 *Corresponding Author. Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; [daniela.cvitkovic@erf.unizg.hr](daniela.cvitkovic@erf.unizg.hr). 2 Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. 172 remote learning and stress in mothers of students with attention deficit and Učenje na daljavo in stres pri materah učencev z motnjopomanjkanja pozornosti s hiperaktivnostjo (ADHD) med zaprtjem zaradi covida-19 Daniela Cvitković, Ana Wagner Jakab in Jasmina Stošić • Zaprtje zaradi covida-19 in izvajanje učenja na daljavo sta prinesla iz-zive za otroke z motnjo ADHD in njihove starše. Namen te raziskave je bil preučiti prostorske in tehnične predpogoje ter kakovost podpore otrokom z motnjo ADHD med učenjem na daljavo in ugotoviti obremenjenost njihovih mater s šolskimi nalogami otrok med prvim zaprtjem. Drugi cilj je bil ugotoviti stopnjo akademske prilagoditve pouka, obremenjenost mater s šolskimi nalogami in vpliv intenzivnosti težav otrok na ravni stresa pri materah. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 61 mater otrok z motnjo ADHD, starih od 30 do 53 let. Podatki so bili zbrani s pomočjospletnega vprašalnika. Vidik, ki so ga izrazile sodelujoče matere, je pokazal, da prostorski pogoji niso bili primerni za izvajanje pouka prek spleta. Poleg tega učna gradiva, rabljena med poukom prek spleta, nisobila prilagojena otrokovim potrebam, učitelji učnih gradiv niso pošiljali prek razpoložljivih spletnih storitev na ustrezen način, več kot tretjina mater pa je navedla, da interaktivnega pouka sploh ni bilo in da ni bilo individualnega stika z učitelji. Večina mater navaja, da so bolj obremenjene s šolskimi nalogami otrok v primerjavi z obdobjem pred zaprtjem. Pokazalo se je tudi, da simptomi pozornosti, pomanjkanje učnih prilagoditev in šolska obremenitev statistično pomembno vplivajo na stres mater učencev. Ključne besede: motnja ADHD, učenje na daljavo, stres pri materah, zaprtje zaradi covida-19 Introduction Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, Croatia introduced a lockdown. Consequently, the schools were closed, and classes switched to remote learning; prior preparation for such a form of

FAQs

What was the main purpose of the study on mothers of children with ADHD during the first lockdown?

To examine spatial and technical preconditions and the quality of support for children with ADHD during remote learning, and to determine mothers’ burdens with school tasks during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

How were data collected for the study, and who participated?

Data were collected using an online questionnaire. The study included 61 mothers of children with ADHD, aged 30 to 53.

What did mothers report about remote teaching conditions and teacher support?

Mothers reported that spatial conditions were not appropriate for online classes, teaching materials were not adapted to children’s needs, teachers did not deliver materials properly, and more than a third said interactive teaching and individual teacher contact were lacking.

Oct 15, 2026

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