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ADHD and family functioning

  • Published:
Current Attention Disorders Reports

Abstract

Most of what is known about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and family functioning has been derived from studies that used children with ADHD as the starting point for their investigations. Such research has consistently reported that parent- child interactions are often characterized by a high degree of negativity and conflict. Also commonly found in such families are the use of less effective parenting strategies, elevated levels of parenting stress, higher rates of parental depression and other types of psychological distress, lower levels of marital satisfaction, and increased sibling conflict. Although a great deal of progress has been made, many questions remain as to how ADHD plays out in families. Several research design issues have limited our understanding of this topic, including an absence of empirical attention to underlying conceptual processes that may serve to explain the link between ADHD and various family outcomes. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AD/HD Clinic at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, 1100 West Market Street, 3rd Floor, Box 26170, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA

    Arthur D. Anastopoulos

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  1. Arthur D. Anastopoulos
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  2. Jennifer L. Sommer
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  3. Nicole K. Schatz
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Correspondence to Arthur D. Anastopoulos.

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Anastopoulos, A.D., Sommer, J.L. & Schatz, N.K. ADHD and family functioning. Curr Atten Disord Rep 1, 167–170 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12618-009-0023-2

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