Adult psychiatric disorders in parents of hyperactive children

The family histories of 140 children and adolescents with hyperactive child syndrome were compared with the family histories of 91 psychiatrically ill, age- and sex-matched patients who had a primary diagnosis other than hyperactive child syndrome. Parents of hyperactive children were more likely to have antisocial personality and Briquet's syndrome (hysteria) than were parents of nonhyperactive children; 11% of the hyperactive children had a parent with such a diagnosis. Parents of nonhyperactive children were more likely to have endogenous psychosis. The diagnosis of alcoholism did not significantly differentiate parents of the two groups of probands. These data support earlier studies and suggest a specific association between hyperactive child syndrome and the personality disorders of antisocial personality and hysteria.