Family Coherence and ADHD

Abstract

A lack of perseverance, poor attention, and poorly modulated behaviour are important criteria of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Instructions often must be repeated, sometimes even by different family members, before a child with ADHD attends and complies. The hyperkinetic child might cause less disruption in families with high coherence. Families of 15 boys (aged 6 to 12 years) diagnosed with ADHD using the Mannheim Parent's Interview and the teacher's form of the Conners scale were compared with a matched healthy control group of 15 boys. Parents completed a form assessing the family's cooperation and childrearing practices. Intrafamilial coherence seems to have little positive association with the family's characteristics, especially for boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Low coherence among family members may reduce ADHD symptoms and may have protective effects on children with ADHD.