Parental self-confidence, parenting styles, and corporal punishment in families of ADHD children in Iran.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the relationship between parental self-confidence, warmth, and involvement, and corporal punishment in families of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).


METHODS
The diagnosis of ADHD was established through clinical interviews with the parents, children, and teachers, according the criteria in DSM-IV-TR. This diagnosis was also established by having the parents complete the Conners' Parent Rating Scale, and the teachers complete the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale. Two groups of Iranian parents, one group with children who have ADHD (N=130) and a control group (N=120), completed questionnaires measuring parental self-confidence and parenting styles.


RESULTS
Parents of children with ADHD were found to have lower self-confidence and less warmth and involvement with their children, and used corporal punishment significantly more than the parents of control children.


CONCLUSIONS
The study provides strong evidence that children with ADHD are at considerable risk of abuse by their parents. Rather than focusing only on the child's ADHD, treatment may also need to address the parents' functioning.
Alizadeh
Hamid
H
Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran.
Applequist
Kimberly F
KF
Coolidge
Frederick L
FL
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents; D011678:Punishment; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires