Association of reactive-proactive aggression and anxiety sensitivity with internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

This study evaluates the associations among the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavioral disorders (DBD) in the context of their relationships with reactive-proactive aggression and anxiety sensitivity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The sample consisted of 342 treatment-naive children with ADHD. The severity of ADHD and DBD symptoms were assessed via parent- and teacher-rated inventories. Anxiety sensitivity, reactive-proactive aggression and severity of anxiety and depression symptoms of children were evaluated by self-report inventories. According to structural equation modeling, depression and anxiety scores had a relation with the DBD scores through reactive-proactive aggression. Results also showed a negative relation of the total scores of anxiety sensitivity on DBD scores, while conduct disorder scores had a positive relation with anxiety scores. This study suggests that examining the relations of reactive-proactive aggression and anxiety sensitivity with internalizing and externalizing disorders could be useful for understanding the link among these disorders in ADHD.