ADHD, temperament, and parental style as predictors of the child's attachment patterns

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of temperament and parenting styles on attachment patterns in children with ADHD. The study included 65 children aged 7-15 and their parents. Children diagnosed as Combined or Predominantly Hyperactive Impulsive Type had significantly higher scores than those diagnosed as Predominantly Inattentive Type in anxious and avoidant attachment, emotionality, and activity dimensions of temperament, and their parents reported higher levels of controlling styles. Hierarchic regressions indicated that parental promotion of autonomy with children with temperamental emotionality predicted anxious attachment, while parental restriction of autonomy with children with high levels of temperamental activity predicted avoidant attachment.