Child Maltreatment, other Trauma Exposure, and Posttraumatic Symptomatology among Children with Oppositional Defiant and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders

Abstract

Consecutive child psychiatric outpatient admissions with disruptive behavior or adjustment disorders were assessed by validated instruments for trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and other psychopathology. Four reliably diagnosed groups were defined in a retrospective case-control design: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), comorbid ADHD-ODD, and adjustment disorder controls. ODD and (although to a lesser extent) ADHD were associated with a history of physical or sexual maltreatment. PTSD symptoms were most severe if (a) ADHD and maltreatment co-occurred or (b) ODD and accident/illness trauma co-occurred. The association between ODD and PTSD Criterion D (hyperarousal/hypervigilance) symptoms remained after controlling for overlapping symptoms, but the association of ADHD with PTSD symptoms was largely due to an overlapping symptom. These findings suggest that screening for maltreatment, other trauma, and PTSD symptoms may enhance prevention, treatment, and research concerning childhood disruptive behavior disorders.

Problem coping skills, psychosocial adversities and mental health problems in children and adolescents as predictors of criminal outcomes in young adulthood

“…Besides psychopathology, concepts of adult criminal behaviour also emphasize the exposure to childhood psychosocial adversities such as low socio-economic status (SES), criminal neighbourhood, parental criminality, negative bonding to parents, harsh discipline and a lack of parental supervision [14,17,19]. Further risk factors include the exposure to extrafamilial stressors like school failure, 4 bullying, rejection by peers or the experiencing of violence [7,14].…”

Oral and Dental Health Problems of Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders, and Solution Proposals

“…Bu risk, çocuk DEHB ve "Karşıt Olma Karşı Gelme Bozukluğu" tanı kombinasyonuna sahip olduğunda daha da artmaktadır (81). Diş hekimleri, bu çocuklarda olası istismar belirtilerinin farkında olmalıdır.…”

A Critique of the International Consensus Statement on ADHD

“…Even a U.S. federal government report on ADHD concluded that there was no compelling evidence to support the claim that ADHD was a biochemical brain disorder (National Institutes of Health, 1998). Research on possible environmental causes of ADHD type behaviors has largely been ignored, despite mounting evidence that psychosocial factors such as exposure to trauma and abuse can cause them (Ford et al, 1999(Ford et al, , 2000.…”