Depression in mothers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Does having a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increase the risk of depression in the child's mother? The present study was initiated to explore this issue in a primary care setting and evaluate the need for routine screening of maternal depression in mothers of children with ADHD.

The subjects were 59 biological mothers of children with ADHD. All were patients in a rural, private, office-based family practice. Each subject was given a Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). After completion, the mothers were interviewed to confirm or exclude depression by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) criteria.

Thirty-nine of the 59 mothers returned a completed Zung SDS. No statistically significant differences were noted between the respondents and nonrespondents, nor between ADHD children of respondents and nonrespondents. Twenty-one respondents had Zung scores in the depressive ranges. By DSM-III-R criteria, 15 were subsequently found to be depressed. None of the 18 mothers with normal scores on the Zung were found to be currently depressed.

The incidence of major and minor depression in primary care outpatients is 4%-6% and 6%-14%, respectively. However, the present study reveals an incidence of 17.9% for major depression and 20.5% for minor depression in mothers of children with ADHD, suggesting that routine screening for maternal depression needs to be considered when children are diagnosed with ADHD in primary care settings.