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Self-Reported Maternal Parenting Stress From 9 m Is Longitudinally Associated With Child ADHD Symptoms at Age 12:
Kaori Endo1, Daniel Stanyon1, Syudo Yamasaki1
1Research Center for Social Science and Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Maternal parenting stress at 9-10, 18, and 36 months postpartum is linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children at age 12. This suggests parenting stress can be an early ADHD risk marker.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has lifelong impacts, necessitating early identification and intervention.
- Parenting stress may precede and indicate developmental disorders like ADHD.
- Routine early-life assessments could incorporate parenting stress as a potential ADHD risk marker.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of using maternal parenting stress as an ADHD risk marker.
- To investigate the longitudinal association between maternal parenting stress and child ADHD.
Main Methods:
- A population-based birth cohort study of 2,638 children in Japan.
- Maternal parenting stress was self-reported five times from 1 to 36 months postpartum.
- Child ADHD symptoms were assessed at 12 years using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Parenting stress at 9-10, 18, and 36 months postpartum was significantly associated with child ADHD symptoms at 12 years.
- Associations remained significant after adjusting for child's sex, age, and family income.
- Parenting stress at 1-4 months postpartum was not associated with later ADHD symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Maternal parenting stress shows potential as an early indicator for ADHD risk.
- Early-life assessments should include parenting stress evaluation.
- Promoting family support tailored to needs can aid early ADHD identification and intervention.
Background:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) develops in early childhood and carries lifelong impact, but early identification and intervention ensure optimal clinical outcomes. Prolonged or excessive parenting stress may be a response to infant behavioral differences antecedent to developmental disorders such as ADHD, and therefore represents a potentially valuable inclusion in routine early-life assessment. To investigate the feasibility of using routinely-collected self-reported maternal parenting stress as a risk marker for child ADHD, this study investigated the longitudinal association between maternal parenting stress from 1 to 36 months after childbirth and child ADHD in early adolescence.
Methods:
The sample comprised 2,638 children (1,253 girls) from the Tokyo Teen Cohort population-based birth cohort study. Mothers recorded parenting stress five times from 1 to 36 months following childbirth in the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, a tool used for routine early-life assessment in Japan. Nine years later, mothers evaluated their child's ADHD symptoms at 12 y using the hyperactivity/inattention subscale from the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire.
Results:
Approximately 7.5% of parents reported that they had parenting stress at 36 m after childbirth. 6.2% of children were evaluated as above the cut-off for ADHD symptoms at 12 y. Parenting stress at 1 and 3-4 m was not associated with child ADHD symptoms at 12 y. However, child ADHD symptoms at 12 y was significantly associated with parenting stress at 9-10 m (unadjusted OR = 1.42, p =.047, 95% CI [1.00, 2/00]), 18 m (unadjusted OR = 1.57, p =.007, 95% CI [1.13, 2.19]) and 36 m (unadjusted OR = 1.67, p =.002, 95% CI [1.20, 2.31]). These associations remained after adjustment for child's sex, age in months and family income.
Conclusions:
We identified associations between parenting stress at 9-10, 18 and 36 m after childbirth and child ADHD symptoms at 12 years old. Self-reported parenting stress data may have utility as an early indicator for ADHD risk. Participation in early-life health checks, assessment of parenting stress, and tailoring support to family needs should be promoted for early identification and intervention for ADHD.
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