Latina mothers' stances on stimulant medication:: Complexity, conflict, and compromise

This study was undertaken to understand and describe Latina mothers' cognitions and attitudes toward the use of medication for their young children's behavior problems under the premise that these factors are determinants of noncompliance and inadequate adherence to medication treatments. Quantitative and qualitative data were extracted from a multimethod study of professional help seeking. Participants were 62 mothers from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Findings indicated that mothers overwhelmingly preferred treatment options other than medication primarily because they understood medication to be addictive, dulling of cognitive processes, and inappropriate for behavior problems. Inadequate adherence was common and logically consistent with maternal cognitions. Maternal choices with respect to the use of medication were transactional and quite complex in nature and changed over time. The strongest agents in this process were schools and the mothers' immediate family. Implications for clinical practice are presented.