Many children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may show fewer symptoms as they age. However, for those children who have to deal with overly critical parents, their symptoms may persist longer, according to new research.
The findings of the new study were published by the American Psychological Association, in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Erica Musser, PhD, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Florida International University, declared that it is important to understand why when they reach adolescence ADHD symptoms decline in some children and not for others.
This is an important phenomenon that can give some clues on how to better treat this medical condition. The findings of the research team suggest that children with ADHD who have parents expressing regularly high levels of criticism are less likely to experience a decline in symptoms over time.
The research team studied over three years a sample of 127 children without the medical condition and 388 children with ADHD. The study also analyzed the families of the children that took part in the research. The research team measured the parents' levels of emotional involvement and criticism as well as change in ADHD symptoms.
According to Science Daily, the researchers recorded parents talking uninterrupted for five minutes about their relationship with their child. These audio sessions were recorded on two occasions, one year apart. The audio recordings were rated by experts for emotional over-involvement and levels of criticism. The research team has found that sustained parental criticism is associated with the continuance of ADHD symptoms.
Musser explained that children with ADHD who have parents expressing high levels of criticism maintained high levels of ADHD symptoms. These findings do not indicate that persistent parental criticism lead to ADHD, but rather an association between ADHD symptoms over time and sustained parental criticism. The study suggests that interventions to reduce parental criticism could help children suffering from ADHD and lead to a reduction of their symptoms.
