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Is self-esteem an important outcome in hyperactive children?

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Abstract

Using a prospective design, this study examined (a) whether hyperactive children suffer from low self-esteem as adolescents; (b) whether low self-esteem is associated with poor functioning in adolescence; (c) whether hyperactive children exhibit a positive illusory bias, in which self-esteem is independent of level of functioning; and (d) whether self-esteem in adolescence is associated with poor functioning in adulthood. Subjects were 65 children diagnosed as hyperactive in childhood, and 62 matched controls sampled from a medical clinic. After controlling for current mental disorder, the hyperactive cohort reported lower self-esteem in adolescence, was judged by clinicians to have lower levels of overall adjustment in adolescence, and had lower educational achievement and occupational rank in adulthood, as compared to controls.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 722 W. 168th St., 10032, New York, New York, USA

    Cheryl Slomkowski

  2. Department of Psychology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 10032, New York, New York, USA

    Rachel G. Klein & Salvatore Mannuzza

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, 11042, Glen Oaks, New York, USA

    Rachel G. Klein & Salvatore Mannuzza

Authors
  1. Cheryl Slomkowski
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  2. Rachel G. Klein
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  3. Salvatore Mannuzza
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Additional information

This study was supported in part by Public Health Service grant MH 18579 and Mental Health Clinic Research Center grant MH 30906. We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Jacob Cohen for his valuable statistical advice, Dr. Richard Rende for helpful comments, and two anonymous reviewers for useful suggestions.

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Slomkowski, C., Klein, R.G. & Mannuzza, S. Is self-esteem an important outcome in hyperactive children?. J Abnorm Child Psychol 23, 303–315 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01447559

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01447559

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