ARTICLES
Psychopathology and Substance Abuse in Parents of Young Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

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ABSTRACT

Objective

To compare the prevalence of psychological disorders in parents of young children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disruptive behavior disorders (DBD).

Method

Subjects included 98 three- to seven-year-old children with DSM-IV ADHD (68 with ADHD and comorbid oppositional defiant or conduct disorder [ADHD+ODD/CD]) and 116 non-ADHD comparison children recruited in 1995–96 during the first wave of a longitudinal study. Biological mothers were administered interviews to assess ADHD and DBD in their children and mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders in themselves. In addition, they were queried about symptoms of childhood ADHD and DBD, and antisocial personality disorder in themselves and their children's biological fathers.

Results

Child ADHD was associated with increased rates of maternal and paternal childhood ADHD relative to comparison children. Child ADHD+ODD/CD was associated with maternal mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and stimulant/cocaine dependence, and paternal childhood DBD. Mothers of children with ADHD+ODD/CD also reported increased drinking problems in their children's fathers.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that many young children with ADHD, particularly those with comorbid ODD/CD, require comprehensive services to address both their ADHD and the mental health needs of their parents.

Section snippets

Participants

Two cohorts of participants, ranging in age from 3 years 10 months to 7 years, were recruited from among referrals to child psychiatry clinics at the Universities of Chicago and Pittsburgh during 1995–96 due to problems with inattention and/or hyperactivity. In Pittsburgh, children were also recruited from schools and newspaper advertisements. No differences between children recruited from these sources or sites were found on demographic or impairment measures; thus, participants were combined

Parent DSM-III-R Diagnoses

Marginally significant associations between child ADHD+ODD/CD and current maternal mood disorders were found, as were highly significant associations between child ADHD+ODD/CD and lifetime maternal mood disorders. Child ADHD and ADHD+ODD/CD groups did not differ from each other. Percentages of mothers with mood disorders and odds ratios (ORs) are presented in Table 2. When individual mood disorders were examined separately, the odds of maternal current MDD were 5.61 times higher in the

DISCUSSION

The present study extends our understanding of ADHD in young children by examining the presence of psychopathology in their biological parents. Overall, results suggested that ADHD in young children is associated with parent problems beyond those found in families of nonreferred children, particularly for children with ADHD and comorbid ODD/CD. Specifically, child ADHD was associated with increased odds of parental ADHD, but not other forms of psychopathology. In contrast, comorbid ADHD+ODD/CD

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    This study was supported in part by NIMHgrant R01-MH53554 to Drs. Lahey and Pelham.

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    Copyright © 2003 The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.