Maternal and child attributions in ADHD versus non-ADHD populations

Abstract

Objective: This study explores child and maternal attributions in ADHD and non-ADHD populations. Participants included children with ADHD ( N = 26) and without ADHD ( N = 24) and their mothers. Method: Children completed the Children’s Attributional Style Questionnaire-Revised (CASQ-R; Kaslow & Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991) and mothers completed the Written Analogue Questionnaire (WAQ; Johnston & Freeman, 1997). Results: Consistent with hypotheses, differences were observed between the ADHD and non-ADHD groups on both child and maternal attributions measures. Post hoc analyses in the ADHD sample indicate that maternal, but not child, attributions differ as a function of medication status. Finally, correlations between child and maternal attributions were not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the attributional styles of children with ADHD may place them at risk for poor self-esteem and/or depression in later life. The attributions provided by these children’s mothers appear to differ slightly as a function of medication status, a finding that may lend insight into factors that influence parental choice of intervention and/or changes over the course of treatment.