The Association Between the Impact of COVID-19 and Internalizing Problems Among Children and Adolescents with ADHD: The Moderating Role of Parental Anxiety.

Previous research has identified an increase in internalizing problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, it has been observed that parents of children with ADHD had elevated levels of anxiety during the pandemic. The current study aimed to longitudinally assess whether the impact of COVID-19 was associated with internalizing problems in children and adolescents with ADHD during the middle (Time 1-Spring 2021 [T1]) and end (Time 2-Fall/Winter 2022 [T2]) of the pandemic, and whether parental anxiety moderated this relationship over time. Canadian parents of youth with ADHD (aged 3-18 years old) completed online questionnaires assessing their child's depression and anxiety symptoms, their own anxiety symptoms, and the pandemic's impact on their child, both at T1 (N = 278) and T2 (N = 89). The results indicated that the impact of COVID-19 on children at T1 was a unique predictor of child internalizing problems at T1 but not at T2. While parental anxiety did not moderate this association cross-sectionally, it was a significant moderator longitudinally. More specifically, low parental anxiety at T1 positively moderated the association between the COVID-19 impact on children at T1 and child internalizing problems at T2. The results highlight the importance of providing on-going psychological support for children and adolescents with ADHD and emphasize the need to aid parents in effectively supporting their children during the process of pandemic recovery.

A cohort study examining the association between children's symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity, internalizing symptoms, and mindful parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: Increased mental health difficulties have been reported in Canadian children as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerging research suggests that children with high levels of symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity have been disproportionately impacted. Accordingly, the pandemic has impacted families as well. The purpose of this study was the following: (1) to examine whether children's symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity at the beginning of the 2020 and 2021 academic year were associated with mindful parenting at the end of the academic year and (2) to examine whether children's depressive and anxiety symptoms at the end of the year moderated this relationship. Methods: Parents of 114 young children in a large Canadian city participated in this study in the Winter of 2020 and the Spring of 2021. Parents completed several self-report scales used to measure children's mental health symptomatology and mindfulness in parenting. Results: Children's symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were significantly, negatively associated with mindful parenting across the pandemic year, and children's depressive symptoms moderated this relationship. Specifically, when children's depressive symptoms were low or average it was found that higher symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were associated with lower levels of mindful parenting. However, when children's depressive symptoms were high their symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were not predictive of mindful parenting. Conclusions: Children's mental health, namely symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity and depression, are related to challenges in mindful parenting during COVID-19. These results may inform practitioners about which families require additional support during the pandemic.