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. 2017 Apr;45(3):443-456.
doi: 10.1007/s10802-016-0213-1.

Mediators and Moderators of the Relation between Parental ADHD Symptomatology and the Early Development of Child ADHD and ODD Symptoms

Rosanna P Breaux  1 , Hallie R Brown  1 , Elizabeth A Harvey  2
Affiliations

Mediators and Moderators of the Relation between Parental ADHD Symptomatology and the Early Development of Child ADHD and ODD Symptoms

Rosanna P Breaux et al. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

The present study examined mediators and moderators of the relation between parental ADHD symptomatology and the development of child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms across the preschool years. Participants included 258 (138 boys) 3-year-old children (M = 44.13 months, SD = 3.39) with and without behavior problems and their parents who took part in a 3-year longitudinal study. Maternal ADHD symptoms predicted later ADHD symptoms in children, controlling for early child symptomatology. Both family history of ADHD and paternal comorbid psychopathology predicted later child ADHD and ODD symptoms, but they did not account for the association between maternal and child ADHD symptoms. Although paternal ADHD symptoms were associated with age 3 child ADHD symptoms, they did not significantly predict later child ADHD symptoms controlling for early symptomatology. Family adversity moderated the relation between maternal ADHD and child ADHD symptoms, such that the relation between maternal and child ADHD symptoms was stronger for families with less adversity. Maternal overreactive parenting mediated the relation between maternal ADHD symptoms and later child ADHD and ODD symptoms. Our findings suggest that targeting paternal comorbid psychopathology and maternal parenting holds promise for attenuating the effects of parental ADHD on children's ADHD.

Keywords: ADHD; Family adversity; Oppositional defiant disorder; Parental psychopathology; Parenting.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Base model for relations between parental ADHD symptoms and later child ADHD and ODD symptoms, taking into account early child ADHD and ODD symptoms. Standardized coefficients are presented. Only significant paths and covariances are shown in figure. †p < .10, *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001
Figure 2
Figure 2
Combined path model examining unique relations between parental ADHD and later child ADHD and ODD, controlling for family history and parental psychopathology. Only significant paths and covariances are shown in figure. ADHD = attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; ODD = oppositional defiant disorder. †p < .10, *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001
Figure 3
Figure 3
Model for relations between parental ADHD symptoms and later child ADHD and ODD symptoms, with maternal and paternal parenting practices as mediators. Only significant paths and covariances are shown in the figure. Standardized coefficients are presented. †p < .10, * p < .05, **p < .01, *** p < .001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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