Parental History of Psychopathology and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among Children

Abstract

Parental history of psychopathology has been linked to an increased risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. Research suggests that genetic and environmental factors contribute to this association, highlighting the importance of early identification and intervention. Objective: To determine the association between family history of psychopathology and ADHD among children. Methods: This cross-sectional comparative analysis was carried out from December 2019 to June 2020 upon 64 children, presenting with ADHD and their parents, who presented to the General Psychiatric OPD and Child Psychiatric OPD of Department of Psychiatry, Liaquat University Hospital; Hyderabad and Jamshoro and Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Institute of Psychiatry, Hyderabad. Data were recorded onto a structured questionnaire containing inquiries pertaining to basic biodata, sociodemographic details and confirmatory diagnosis. Results: The mean age of the sample (children) stood at 9 ± 2 years while the maternal and paternal mean age stood at 33 ± 5 years and 32 ± 3 years, respectively. A majority (83%) of the sample (children) comprised of boys, while the remaining 17% were girls. The most common symptoms of ADHD reported by parents (among children) included aggression, hyperactivity and academic problems. Positive psychiatric history among mother, father and siblings was noted in 39.1%, 32.8% and 48.4% of the cases respectively. Conclusions: Parental psychopathology (most notably anxiety spectrum disorders and major depressive disorder) has been found to be associated with ADHD among children.