ADHD Children’s Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms And Their Parental Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms’Intergenerational Transmission

Objective:To examine the differences between ADHD children and nonADHD control group children on emotional symptoms, and to find out how the parental emotional symptoms, which are in the family factors, influence ADHD children’s emotional symptoms.Methods:33ADHD children and66nonADHD controls, who were screened by Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version(K-SADS-PL), were tested with the Children’s Depression Inventory-Short Form(CDI-S)、the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale(RCMAS). Their parents were tested with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale(CES-D), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS).Results:(1) Scores of CDI-S,RCMAS in ADHD children were significantly higher than that that of control group children (P<0.01、P<0.001).(2) The depressive level of ADHD children’s parents were obviously related to ADHD children’s depression and anxiety scores (P<0.001).(3) Multiple linear regression analysis showed that parent’s depression and anxiety had a significant regression effect on ADHD children’s depression and anxiety, which could explain47.1%variance variation of ADHD children’s depression and44.7%variance variation of their anxiety.But, in control group, only the parents’ depressive score were significantly related (P<0.01) with the children’s depressive score.In control group, only the parents’ depressive score had a significant regression effect on the children’s depression. It can explain50.7%variance variation of control group children’s depression.Conclusion:(1) Comparing to controls, children with ADHD tends to show more symptoms of anxiety and depression.(2) There may be intergenerational impact between the depressed and anxious emotions of ADHD children’s parents and ADHD children’s depression and anxiety.