Association of Parental ADHD and Depression With Externalizing and Internalizing Dimensions of Child Psychopathology

Abstract

Objective: To study the independent association of parental depression and ADHD on three dimensions of child psychopathology among 178 children aged 5 to 10 years. Method: Self-reported measures of parental depression and ADHD as well as rating scales and structure diagnostic interviews of child internalizing, ADHD, and externalizing problems were obtained. Results: Structural equation modeling indicated that parental ADHD was positively associated with a broad child problems factor after a second-order factor of child problems best accounted for the high intercorrelations among the internalizing, ADHD, and externalizing child psychopathology factors. Parental depression did not significantly predict the second-order child problems factor, but it specifically predicted the child internalizing factor. Conclusion: These results suggest that parental ADHD may be a nonspecific risk factor for child psychopathology broadly, whereas parental depression may function as a specific risk factor for child internalizing problems.