[Correlation of anxiety in parents and children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder]

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder in children; its coexistence with anxiety in children and their parents increases their social, family, and academic problems.

To identify the prevalence and correlation of anxiety disorder in pediatric patients with ADHD and their parents.

Analytical, observational study conducted in a tertiary-level hospital in Puebla, Mexico, in patients aged 8 to 15 years with a diagnosis of ADHD and their parents; those with an additional psychiatric diagnosis were excluded. All parents signed informed consent, and children aged 8 to 15 years signed a letter of informed assent. The Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale-Second Edition (RCMAS-2) was administered to the patients and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale to the parents. Data analysis was performed with descriptive statistics and phi coefficient.

150 patients and their parents were recruited. The children were predominantly male, and the ADHD subtype was mixed (64.7%). 100% reported pharmacological treatment and 20.7% were combined with psychotherapy. 65% of children registered some type of anxiety with a phi correlation of 0.337 (p < 0.001) of this disorder between children and parents.

Pediatric patients diagnosed with ADHD often experience anxiety as a comorbidity, which is correlated with anxiety in their parents.