The Effect of Maternal State Anxiety on the Children's Somatic Symptom in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to examine whether anxiety and depression of children and mothers were associated with the children's medically unexplained somatic symptoms in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). METHODS: 83 clinic-referred boys with ADHD and 52 boys without ADHD were included in this study. The frequency of the medically unexplained somatic symptoms, such as general-ache, headache, nausea, eye problems, skin problems, abdominal pain, vomiting was evaluated using the somatic symptom domain of the Child Behavior Checklist(CBCL). Children's anxiety and depression were evaluated using Kovacs Children's Depression Inventory(CDI) and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) for children. Maternal anxiety and depression were measured by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) and Beck's Depression Inventory(BDI). Stepwise linear regression analysis was used to examine the hypothesis. RESULTS: Score of maternal state anxiety affects the T score of the somatic symptom domain in CBCL significantly(adjusted R2=0.057; p=0.026). CONCLUSION: The frequency of medically unexplained somatic symptom of children perceived by mothers was associated with the high level of maternal state anxiety in ADHD. Frequent maternal report of the children's somatic symptom may be a warrant for the evaluation and management of the maternal state anxiety in ADHD.