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Responsiveness in interactions of mothers and sons with ADHD: relations to maternal and child characteristics

Charlotte Johnston1, Candice Murray, Stephen P Hinshaw

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. cjohnston@cortex.psych

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
|April 5, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Maternal responsiveness in families with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) boys was linked to fewer conduct problems and lower maternal depression. Parenting style is crucial for understanding ADHD and related behavioral issues.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) significantly impacts family dynamics.
  • Understanding maternal factors is crucial for managing ADHD symptoms and co-occurring conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between maternal responsiveness and child outcomes in boys with ADHD.
  • To investigate the association between maternal responsiveness and maternal mental health.

Main Methods:

  • Observation of mother-child interactions in 136 families with 7-10-year-old boys diagnosed with ADHD.
  • Independent coding of maternal behavior, focusing on responsiveness, sensitivity, warmth, and control.
  • Factor analysis to identify key components of maternal responsiveness.

Main Results:

  • Maternal responsiveness showed a significant negative association with child conduct problems, independent of other factors.
  • Maternal responsiveness was negatively related to maternal depressive symptoms.
  • No significant association was found between maternal responsiveness and boys' ADHD symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Parenting style, specifically maternal responsiveness, plays a unique role in mitigating conduct problems in children with ADHD.
  • Maternal mental health, indicated by depressive symptoms, is linked to parenting behaviors.
  • Further research into parenting interventions for ADHD families is warranted.

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