Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Oct;15(7):583-92.
doi: 10.1177/1087054710370567. Epub 2010 Aug 4.

Self-Regulation of Emotion, Functional Impairment, and Comorbidity Among ChildrenWith AD/HD

Arthur D Anastopoulos  1 , Taylor F Smith, Melanie E Garrett, Erin Morrissey-Kane, Nicole K Schatz, Jennifer L Sommer, Scott H Kollins, Allison Ashley-Koch
Affiliations

Self-Regulation of Emotion, Functional Impairment, and Comorbidity Among ChildrenWith AD/HD

Arthur D Anastopoulos et al. J Atten Disord. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the role of self-regulation of emotion in relation to functional impairment and comorbidity among children with and without AD/HD.

Method: A total of 358 probands and their siblings participated in the study, with 74% of the sample participants affected by AD/HD. Parent-rated levels of emotional lability served as a marker for self-regulation of emotion.

Results: Nearly half of the children affected by AD/HD displayed significantly elevated levels of emotional lability versus 15% of those without this disorder. Children with AD/HD also displayed significantly higher rates of functional impairment, comorbidity, and treatment service utilization. Emotional lability partially mediated the association between AD/HD status and these outcomes.

Conclusion: Findings lent support to the notion that deficits in the self-regulation of emotion are evident in a substantial number of children with AD/HD and that these deficits play an important role in determining functional impairment and comorbidity outcomes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

References

    1. Angold A, Costello EJ, Erkanli A. Comorbidity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 1999;40:57–87. - PubMed
    1. August GJ, Realmuto GM, MacDonald AW, III, Nugent SM. Prevalence of AD/HD and comorbid disorders among elementary school children screened for disruptive behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology: An Official Publication of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology. 1996;24:571–595. - PubMed
    1. Barkley RA. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Guilford; 2006.
    1. Biederman J, Faraone S, Mick E, Wozniak J, Chen L, Ouellette C, Lelon E. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and juvenile mania: An overlooked comorbidity? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1996;35:997–1008. - PubMed
    1. Biederman J, Mick E, Faraone SV. Depression in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder AD/HD children: “True” depression or demoralization? Journal of Affective Disorders. 1998;47:113–122. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms