[Parental interaction patterns in children with ADHD and controls; a comparative study]

ABSTRACT

Communicational patterns of the parents can either positively or negatively influence children's personality. Parenting manner has long-term effects on behavior, function, expectations and eventually people's future personality. This study investigates parental interaction patterns in children with attention deficit- hyperactive disorder. In this study, 50 male children aged 7-12 years were selected in two groups including I] 25 students with ADHD referring to psychiatry clinics it3, Isfahan according to the diagnostic scale of DSM- IV and 2] 25 healthy boys selected by random cluster mukistage sampling from primary schools in five districts of Isfahan from Septamber 2005 until March 2005. Schaffer and Edgerton parental interaction questionnaire was filled for them. In "Communication" interaction pattern, the mean score of healthy children was 15.08, while the mean score of ADJID children was 13.42. In "admission" interactional pattern; the mean of the first group was 14.76, while the second group was 11.76. in "control" interactional pattern, mean of group one was 13.28 and the second group was 11.76. In "aggression control" interactional pattern, the mean of group one was 13 and the second group was 14.68. In "lack of aggressive attachment" interaetional pattern, mean of the first group was 13.36 and the second group was 16.67. The mean scores of parental interactional pattern in healthy children were all higher than ADHD children except for "aggression control" and "lack of aggressive attachment" interactional patterns. The more the parental "admission" interactional pattern score, the lower the signs of ADHD in children. The signs of severity are lower in cases with more positive parental "control" interactional patterns. If the scores of "lack of aggressive! attachment" and "aggressive/ control" interactional patterns are higher, ADHD signs are more severe