Effects of parenting styles on social functioning impairments in Chinese children and adolescents with ADHD mediated by stressful life events

Abstract

Background: To explore the direct effect of parenting styles on social functioning impairmentin Chinese children and adolescents with ADHD, and the indirect effect through stressful life events. Methods: This study included 1,870 participants (aged 6-16 years) enrolled from April to July 2014 as part of the Epidemiological Study of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Disorders. Egna Minnen av Betraffande Uppfostran (EMBU), Social Function Rating Scale (SFRS) and Adolescent Life Events Scale (ASLEC) were used to assess parenting styles, social function impairment and stressful life events respectively. Results: Parental emotional warmth reduces the occurrence of stressful life events and impairment of social functioning (p<0.01). Linear regression model indicated that father emotional warmth, severe punishment, mother severe punishment and stressful life events significantly predict social function impairment (p<0.05). Mediation analysis indicated that stressful life events mediate the relationship between parenting styles and social function impairment. Conclusions: Different parental rearing styles and life events were found to impact social function impairment among child with ADHD. The way to improve the prognosis of children with ADHD should be to enhance parenting education, as supportive parenting styles predict fewer perceived experience of stressful life events and reduced impairment of social functioning in children with ADHD.