Mother-son interactions in families of boys with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with and without oppositional behavior.
Parenting responsiveness and over-reactivity were assessed among 25 mothers of 7-9-year-old sons with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and oppositional behavior (Oppositional Defiant, OD), 24 mothers of sons with ADHD only, and 38 mothers of nonproblem sons. Responsiveness was observed during mother-son play and clean-up interactions and over-reactivity was assessed using self-reports of parenting in discipline situations. Mothers of sons with ADHD/OD were less responsive and more over-reactive than mothers of nonproblem sons, and mothers of sons with ADHD only did not differ from the other groups. Mothers of sons with ADHD/OD reported more hostility than mothers of nonproblem sons, and controlling for maternal hostility eliminated the significant group differences in responsiveness during clean-up and in over-reactivity. Controlling for the child's ADHD subtype did not alter the pattern of results. The implications for addressing responsiveness and over-reactivity as components of parent-mediated behavioral treatments for ADHD are considered.
Seipp
Carla M
CM
Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Johnston
Charlotte
C
D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009679:Nuclear Family / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting; D012720:Severity of Illness Index