Work

Association of Parental ADHD and Depression With Externalizing and Internalizing Dimensions of Child Psychopathology

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To study the independent association of parental depression and ADHD on three dimensions of child psychopathology among 178 children aged 5 to 10 years. METHOD: Self-reported measures of parental depression and ADHD as well as rating scales and structure diagnostic interviews of child internalizing, ADHD, and externalizing problems were obtained. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling indicated that parental ADHD was positively associated with a broad child problems factor after a second-order factor of child problems best accounted for the high intercorrelations among the internalizing, ADHD, and externalizing child psychopathology factors. Parental depression did not significantly predict the second-order child problems factor, but it specifically predicted the child internalizing factor. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that parental ADHD may be a nonspecific risk factor for child psychopathology broadly, whereas parental depression may function as a specific risk factor for child internalizing problems.

Source: Journal of Attention Disorders

DOI: 10.1177/1087054710387264

Authors: Kathryn L. Humphreys, Natasha Mehta, Steve S. Lee

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism