Meta-Analysis: Parenting Children and Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Compared to Healthy...

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Parenting practices significantly influence child development.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder.
• Understanding parenting differences in ADHD families is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze studies comparing parenting practices in families of children with ADHD versus typically developing controls.
• To quantify the magnitude and direction of differences in various parenting dimensions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of 62 studies (N=13,105) comparing parenting in children/adolescents with ADHD and controls.
• Searched major databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus) from inception to August 2025.
• Used random-effects models to compute pooled standardized mean differences (Hedges' g) and assessed heterogeneity.

Main Results:

• Parents of children with ADHD showed significantly lower positive parenting (g = -0.37) and higher negative parenting (g = 0.47).
• Strongest effects observed for authoritative parenting, warmth, abuse, family conflict, and hostility.
• High heterogeneity (I² ≥ 90%) was noted, with no consistent moderators identified.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences in parenting exist between families of children with and without ADHD.
• Interventions should aim to foster structured, warm, and non-coercive parenting approaches.
• High heterogeneity and cross-sectional designs limit causal interpretations.