title: Child impact on family functioning: a multivariate analysis in multiplex families with children and mothers both affected by attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
abstract: ADHD seriously impacts family functioning, even the more in families with simultaneous parental and child ADHD. The aim of the study was to examine associations between family impact of child ADHD and child, mother and family characteristics in multiplex families with children and mothers both affected by ADHD. One hundred and forty-four mother-child pairs were assessed (children: mean age 9.4 ± 1.7 years, 73.6 % male). Family impact of child ADHD was rated by mothers using the Family Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed with child and maternal psychopathology and basic family characteristics such as employment, partnership status and number of children as predictors and FIQ subscores as criteria. Rates of variance explained by family variables were 49 % for negative feelings towards the child, 37 % for impact on partnership, 31 % for impact on social life and 27 % for impact on finances (p < .001, respectively). Pearson correlations with family impact were especially strong for child externalizing symptoms, maternal ADHD and co-morbid symptoms of the mother. The strongest independent predictor was oppositional defiant child behaviour. In ADHD multiplex families, mothers' perception of the impact of an ADHD child on its family can be explained to a substantial degree by child psychopathology, maternal psychopathology and basic family characteristics. Although a cross-sectional design does not allow for causal interpretations, the findings of this study offer important targets for the treatment of ADHD in a family context pointing to the need for assessing and treating parental mental health and co-morbid symptoms besides ADHD core symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Füchsleinstr. 15, 97080, Würzburg, Germany, katja.fleck@outlook.com.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philipsen
authors.forename: Swantje
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matthies
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hennighausen
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haack-Dees
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weyers
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warnke
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rösler
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Retz
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Gontard
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hänig
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sobanski
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schumacher-Stien
authors.forename: Luise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poustka
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bliznak
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holtmann
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colla
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gentschow
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kappel
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jaite
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis