Parenting Children with ADHD: Associations with Parental Depression, Parental ADHD, and Child Behavior Problems

The current study systematically tested the incremental and interactive associations of parental depression, parental attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and child behavior problems, as related to parenting in families of children with ADHD. Participants were 213 children with ADHD (age M(SD) = 8.58(1.55); 69% male), who each took part in the study with one parent (age M(SD) = 41.13(6.03); 10% male). Parents self-reported their own depressive and ADHD symptoms. Positive (e.g., being involved, praising the child) and negative (e.g., being over-reactive, criticizing the child) parenting behaviors were self-reported by parents and observed in an interaction task with the child. Children’s oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and ADHD behavior problems were reported by parents and teachers. Results revealed that parental depressive symptoms were associated with more self-reported negative and less self-reported positive parenting after adjusting for parental ADHD symptoms and child behavior problems. Parental ADHD symptoms were associated with more self-reported negative parenting after adjusting for child behavior problems, but not incrementally over parental depressive symptoms. An interaction effect was found, where parental ADHD symptoms were associated with more self-reported negative parenting when depressive symptoms were low. Parental psychopathology was not associated with observations of parenting. Regarding child behavior problems, only child ODD behavior was associated with more self-reported negative parenting, and no interactions between parent and child psychopathology were associated with parenting behavior. Future research, assessment, and treatment of families with children with ADHD should consider both types of parental psychopathology, and their potential interaction, alongside the contribution of child ODD behavior.