The Relationship Between Parental Affective Temperament Traits and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Symptoms in Children With ADHD.

OBJECTIVE:

This study investigated the relationship between parental affective temperaments and the oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms of children with ADHD.

METHOD:

The sample consisted of 542 treatment-naive children with ADHD and their biological parents. Children were assessed via both parent- and teacher-rated behavioral disorder scales. Parental affective temperament and ADHD symptoms were measured by self-report inventories. The relationships between psychiatric variables were evaluated using structural equation modeling.

RESULTS:

According to parent-rated behavioral disorder scales, paternal cyclothymic and maternal irritable temperaments were associated with ODD scores, and maternal depressive temperament was associated with CD scores. In terms of teacher-rated behavioral disorder scales, maternal anxious temperament was associated with ODD scores, and paternal cyclothymic and maternal depressive temperaments were associated with CD scores.

CONCLUSION:

These results suggest that certain parental affective temperaments are related to an increase in symptoms of disruptive behavioral disorders in children with ADHD.