Maternal ADHD symptoms, child ADHD symptoms and broader child outcomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (9) ◽  
pp. 841-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daryl Efron ◽  
Kirsten Furley ◽  
Alisha Gulenc ◽  
Emma Sciberras

ObjectiveThis study investigated the associations between maternal symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and child functional outcomes in a community-based sample of children with and without ADHD.Design and settingIn this cohort study, children with ADHD and healthy controls were recruited through schools in Melbourne, Australia, using a combined screening (Conners 3 ADHD Index) and case confirmation (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV) procedure.Patients117 children with ADHD and 149 control children were included in the analyses.Main outcome measuresMaternal ADHD symptoms (Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale) and child outcomes (ADHD severity, quality of life (QoL), academic competence, social-emotional functioning) were measured at a mean child age of 8.9 years.ResultsMothers of children with ADHD had clinically elevated ADHD symptoms compared with mothers of control children (adjusted analysis: 18.0% vs 2.0%, P<0.001). Elevated maternal ADHD symptoms were associated with greater child ADHD symptom severity and lower QoL by maternal report for children with (severity P=0.01; QoL P=0.003) and without (severity P=0.003; QoL P=0.003) ADHD. Elevated maternal ADHD symptoms were additionally associated with increased parent-rated emotional problems, peer problems and total impairment scores in children without ADHD (all P<0.01).ConclusionsMaternal ADHD symptoms are associated with increased ADHD symptom severity and reduced QoL by maternal report in offspring with or without ADHD, and have broader negative associations with emotional and social functioning in children without ADHD. In the evaluation of the referred children, maternal ADHD symptoms should be considered and referral made to adult services where indicated.

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anat Zaidman-Zait ◽  
Iris Shilo

Objective: The study examined how the interplay between maternal ADHD symptoms and maternal inhibitory control and child ADHD is related to parenting behaviors. Method: The sample included 141 mothers and their 8- to 12-year-old children, 61 children with ADHD and 80 without. Parenting was measured using self-reports (i.e., overreactive and lax parenting) and observation (i.e., negative and supportive parenting). Maternal inhibitory control was measured using a neurocognitive task. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to predict parenting, controlling for child sex, conduct behaviors, and parenting distress. Results: Interactions between maternal ADHD symptoms and maternal inhibitory control suggested that hyperactive–impulsive symptoms were linked to parenting negativity only when inhibitory control was low, and maternal inattention symptoms were related to lax parenting only when maternal inhibitory control was high or when children did not have ADHD. Conclusion: Results indicate the importance of maternal regulation processes in the mechanisms linking maternal ADHD with parenting.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-40
Author(s):  
Alefiya Nomanbhoy ◽  
Russell Hawkins

Objectives: We wanted to determine: (1) whether ADHD symptoms were more common in mothers of children with ADHD; (2) whether mothers of children with ADHD differed in their parenting strategies; and (3) whether there was a difference in care-giving arrangements for children with ADHD and without ADHD. This was done by comparing mothers of children with ADHD with mothers of children without ADHD in Singapore. Methods: Mothers of children with ADHD ( n=46) and mothers of children without ADHD ( n=45) completed the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Revised, the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale-Self Report and the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire. Results: Mothers of children with ADHD did not report higher levels of current ADHD symptoms compared with the control group. However, they did use less adaptive parenting strategies. There were also no differences in the reported behaviours of children cared for by a paid worker and those cared for by mothers. Conclusions: Data support the Singapore Clinical Guidelines recommendations for the promotion of parenting skills, and referral to parenting programmes for parents of children with ADHD. The promotion of parenting skills and referral to parenting programmes for mothers of children with ADHD might include the option of electronic forms of programme delivery. The model of using paid help in the home, which is commonplace in Singapore, does not seem to disadvantage children with ADHD.


2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 277-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie Dentz ◽  
Lucia Romo ◽  
Eric Konofal ◽  
Véronique Parent

Parents of children with ADHD are more likely to present the disorder, which can affect quality of life and parenting strategies. Few studies have examined parental ADHD to date, none in France. Prevalence of self-rated ADHD symptoms in adulthood and childhood was estimated among 60 biological mothers or fathers of children with confirmed ADHD in France. Cutoffs were total score ≥46 on the Wender Utah Rating Scale and ≥4 on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Screener. Results indicated possible child and adult ADHD in 12.5% of mothers and 10.0% of fathers. As these percentages exceed reported prevalence rates for the French population, a greater effort must be made to diagnose the disorder in parents.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saartje Hontelez ◽  
Tim Stobernack ◽  
Lidy M. Pelsser ◽  
Peter van Baarlen ◽  
Klaas Frankena ◽  
...  

AbstractResearch into the effect of nutrition on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children has shown that the few-foods diet (FFD) substantially decreases ADHD symptoms in 60% of children. However, the underlying mechanism is unknown. In this open-label nutritional intervention study we investigated whether behavioural changes after following an FFD are associated with changes in brain function during inhibitory control in 79 boys with ADHD, aged 8–10 years. Parents completed the ADHD Rating Scale before (t1) and after the FFD (t2). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were acquired during a stop-signal task at t1 and t2, and initial subject-level analyses were done blinded for ARS scores. Fifty (63%) participants were diet responders, showing a decrease of ADHD symptoms of at least 40%. Fifty-three children had fMRI scans of sufficient quality for further analysis. Region-of-interest analyses demonstrated that brain activation in regions implicated in the stop-signal task was not associated with ADHD symptom change. However, whole-brain analyses revealed a correlation between ADHD symptom decrease and increased precuneus activation (pFWE(cluster) = 0.015 for StopSuccess > Go trials and pFWE(cluster) < 0.001 for StopSuccess > StopFail trials). These results provide evidence for a neurocognitive mechanism underlying the efficacy of a few-foods diet in children with ADHD.


Author(s):  
Anna Szép ◽  
Nadine Skoluda ◽  
Susan Schloß ◽  
Katja Becker ◽  
Ursula Pauli-Pott ◽  
...  

AbstractProviding care for a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with parenting stress. Moreover, adults with elevated ADHD symptoms report increased perceived stress. Despite this, it has rarely been examined whether and how child and maternal ADHD symptoms may affect maternal perceived stress and the stress-sensitive hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. This study therefore investigated the possible impact of child and maternal ADHD symptoms on mothers' perceived chronic stress and hair cortisol concentration (HCC), while simultaneously considering the effects of child oppositional defiant/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) and maternal depressive symptomatology. In total, 124 mothers (35.96 ± 5.21 years) of preschool children were included. Maternal perceived stress, ADHD and depressive symptoms were assessed using self-report measures. Child ADHD symptoms were assessed using an interview and questionnaires completed by mothers and teachers. Additionally, mothers provided information about their children’s ODD/CD symptoms. Hair samples were taken from mothers to assess HCC. Child and maternal ADHD, child ODD/CD, and maternal depressive symptoms accounted for 50% of the variance in perceived chronic stress (F(4, 119) = 30.24; p < 0.01), with only maternal ADHD (β = 0.52, p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms (β = 0.49, p < 0.01) being uniquely significant. Maternal ADHD symptoms did not moderate the relationship between child ADHD symptoms and maternal perceived chronic stress (b = − 0.01; SE b = 0.17; t(5, 118) = − 0.05; p = 0.96). Mother’s age became the only significant predictor of maternal HCC (β = 0.29; p < 0.01). Based on these findings, practitioners are advised to be aware of and take into account possible maternal ADHD and depressive symptomatology and perceived chronic stress when treating children diagnosed with ADHD.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie G. Craig ◽  
Margaret D. Weiss ◽  
Kristen L. Hudec ◽  
Christopher Gibbins

Objective: Children with ADHD display higher rates of sleep problems, and both sleep disorders and ADHD have been shown to affect functioning in childhood. The current study examines the frequency and relationship between sleep problems and ADHD, and their impact on quality of life (QoL) and functional impairment. Method: Parents of 192 children with ADHD ( M = 10.23 years) completed measures regarding their child’s ADHD symptoms (Swanson, Nolan and Pelham [SNAP]), sleep disorders (Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire [PSQ]), QoL (Child Health Illness Profile [CHIP-PE]), and functioning (Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale–Parent Report [WFIRS-P]). Results: Common sleep complaints in participants were insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and variability in sleep schedule. Regression analysis indicated that sleep problems and ADHD symptoms independently predicted lower levels of QoL (Δ R2 = .12, p < .001) and social functioning (Δ R2 = .12, p < .001). Conclusion: The results suggest that ADHD may coexist with somnolence and that both conditions have a significant impact on a child’s functioning and QoL.


2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 1601-1612 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Park ◽  
J.-M. Lee ◽  
J.-W. Kim ◽  
J. H. Cheong ◽  
H. J. Yun ◽  
...  

Background.Previous studies have implicated the relationship between environmental phthalate exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms of childhood, but no studies have been conducted in children who have a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD obtained through meticulous diagnostic testing. We aimed to determine whether phthalate metabolites in urine would be higher in children with ADHD than in those without ADHD and would correlate with symptom severity and cortical thickness in ADHD children.Method.A cross-sectional examination of urine phthalate metabolite concentrations was performed; scores for ADHD symptoms, externalizing problems, and continuous performance tests were obtained from 180 children with ADHD, and brain-imaging data were obtained from 115 participants. For the control group, children without ADHD (N = 438) were recruited. Correlations between phthalate metabolite concentrations and clinical measures and brain cortical thickness were investigated.Results.Concentrations of phthalate metabolites, particularly the di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolite, were significantly higher in boys with ADHD than in boys without ADHD. Concentrations of the di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) metabolite were significantly higher in the combined or hyperactive-impulsive subtypes compared to the inattentive subtype, and the metabolite was positively correlated with the severity of externalizing symptoms. Concentrations of the DEHP metabolite were negatively correlated with cortical thickness in the right middle and superior temporal gyri.Conclusions.The results of this study suggest an association between phthalate concentrations and both the diagnosis and symptom severity of ADHD. Imaging findings suggest a negative impact of phthalates on regional cortical maturation in children with ADHD.


SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A415-A416
Author(s):  
K N Kim ◽  
D L Wescott ◽  
P L Franzen ◽  
B P Hasler ◽  
K A Roecklein

Abstract Introduction Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) increases risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although the mechanism linking SAD and ADHD is unknown. Prior research has identified insomnia and delayed sleep phase in both ADHD and SAD. We hypothesized that sleep duration and timing in SAD would be associated with the severity of ADHD symptoms. Methods Adults with SAD (n = 45) and subsyndromal SAD (S-SAD; n = 18) aged 19-66 years from Pittsburgh, PA., were assessed for ADHD symptoms, self-report sleep quality, depression severity, and daytime sleepiness in the Winter. Participants wore an Actiwatch for 4-14 days, from which we calculated sleep-onset latency, total sleep time, sleep midpoint, and sleep efficiency. We conducted a hierarchical multivariate linear regression to determine if sleep characteristics predict ADHD symptom severity in our sample while controlling for depressive symptoms. Age and gender were added in Step 1, seasonal depression severity in Step 2, actigraphy-based total sleep time, sleep onset latency, midpoint, and efficiency in Step 3, and self-reported sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in Step 4. Results Participants mostly scored in the “likely” or “highly likely” ADHD range (87.30%, n=55), higher than the national prevalence rate (4.4%). When controlling for age, gender, and depression severity, only shorter actigraphy-based total sleep time was associated with higher ADHD symptom severity (β=-0.30, p&lt;0.05). However, when self-reported sleep quality and daytime sleepiness were added as predictors, total sleep time was no longer a statistically-significant predictor of ADHD symptom severity and only daytime sleepiness predicted ADHD symptom severity (β=0.31, p&lt;0.05). Conclusion Our results suggest that individuals with SAD who experience daytime sleepiness and/or possibly shorter actigraphy-based sleep duration experience higher ADHD symptom severity. Treatments like Trans-C or CBT-I to improve daytime sleepiness and sleep duration may be indicated for SAD patients who present with comorbid ADHD symptoms. Support NIMH K.A.R. MH103303


2020 ◽  
pp. 108705472092813
Author(s):  
Myrte J. M. van Langen ◽  
Branko M. van Hulst ◽  
Miriam Douma ◽  
Maarten Steffers ◽  
Nicolle M. H. van de Wiel ◽  
...  

Objective: This article aims to assess whether individual differences in reward sensitivity can be used to predict which children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will benefit most from behavioral interventions that include reinforcement. Methods: A 12-week behavioral intervention was offered to 21 children with ADHD and their parents. Reward sensitivity was assessed prior to the intervention using a combination of psychological and physiological measures. ADHD symptoms were assessed pre- and posttreatment using the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD and Normal behavior (SWAN) rating scale. Results: Lower scores on one of the questionnaire scales were associated with greater pre/posttreatment differences in ADHD symptoms. Conclusion: We found that pre/posttreatment change was associated with one measure of parent-rated reward sensitivity. Children with low impulsive negative behavior toward gaining reward improved most during treatment. This result suggests that aspects of reward-related behaviors in ADHD may be useful to predict the effectiveness of treatment.


2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 502-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dione M. Healey ◽  
David J. Marks ◽  
Jeffrey M. Halperin

AbstractCognition and emotion, traditionally thought of as largely distinct, have recently begun to be conceptualized as dynamically linked processes that interact to influence functioning. This study investigated the moderating effects of cognitive functioning on the relationship between negative emotionality and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom severity. A total of 216 (140 hyperactive/inattentive; 76 typically developing) preschoolers aged 3–4 years were administered a neuropsychological test battery (i.e., NEPSY). To avoid method bias, child negative emotionality was rated by teachers (Temperament Assessment Battery for Children-Revised), and parents rated symptom severity on the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS-IV). Hierarchical Linear Regression analyses revealed that both negative emotionality and Perceptual-Motor & Executive Functions accounted for significant unique variance in ADHD symptom severity. Significant interactions indicated that when negative emotionality is low, but not high, neuropsychological functioning accounts for significant variability in ADHD symptoms, with lower functioning predicting more symptoms. Emotional and neuropsychological functioning, both individually and in combination, play a significant role in the expression of ADHD symptom severity. (JINS, 2011, 17, 502–510)


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