Maternal depression and parenting stress among families of children with AD/HD: child and family correlates

Research has shown that child and maternal factors contribute to parenting stress and depression among mothers of children with AD/HD. The purpose of the current study was to identify the extent to which maternal cognitive distortions are associated with parenting stress and depression. Twenty-four mothers of children with AD/HD completed measures of child and maternal psychopathology as well as maternal cognitive distortions. Both maternal depression and parenting stress were predicted by maternal characteristics above child characteristics. Child internalizing behaviors and parenting-specific cognitive distortions predicted whether mothers were classified as stressed or stressed and depressed. The results indicated that cognitive distortions, especially those pertaining to parenting, play a significant role in the distress experienced by mothers of children with AD/HD

The relationship between maternal depression and child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between child AD/HD and maternal depression; however, findings have been largely mixed. Potentially contributing to the variability in findings, multiple methods of defining and assessing depression have been employed across studies. The purpose of the current study was to address these various methods within a single sample. Thirty-nine mothers of children with AD/HD and twenty-nine mothers of children without AD/HD completed measures of child and maternal psychopathology. Mothers of children with AD/HD were significantly more likely to report elevated depression at the time of the study and they were also more likely to have a history of chronic depression. Severity of depression was predicted by child diagnostic status, maternal anxiety, and maternal AD/HD. The results indicated that mothers of children with AD/HD are more likely to have a history of depression than other mothers and that the strength of the relationship between child AD/HD and maternal depression varies depending on the definition of depression. Additionally, when looking at lifetime depression status, measures that take into account chronic versus single-episode depression may be more sensitive to differences between mothers of children with and without AD/HD

Self-Regulation of Emotion, Functional Impairment, and Comorbidity Among Children With AD/HD

Objective: This study investigated the role of self-regulation of emotion in relation to functional impairment and comorbidity among children with and without AD/HD. Method: A total of 358 probands and their siblings participated in the study, with 74% of the sample participants affected by AD/HD. Parent-rated levels of emotional lability served as a marker for self-regulation of emotion. Results: Nearly half of the children affected by AD/HD displayed significantly elevated levels of emotional lability versus 15% of those without this disorder. Children with AD/HD also displayed significantly higher rates of functional impairment, comorbidity, and treatment service utilization. Emotional lability partially mediated the association between AD/HD status and these outcomes. Conclusion: Findings lent support to the notion that deficits in the self-regulation of emotion are evident in a substantial number of children with AD/HD and that these deficits play an important role in determining functional impairment and comorbidity outcomes