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Familial Aggregation of ADHD Characteristics

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Abstract

Patterns of familial aggregation of ADHD symptoms in parents of ADHD and non-ADHD children were examined. Within the ADHD sample, symptom aggregation was examined as a function of biological relationship, parent and child gender, and children's comorbid diagnoses. Participants consisted of parents of 579 children with ADHD, Combined Type participating in the multimodal treatment study of children with ADHD and parents of 288 normal control participants. Adult symptoms of ADHD were measured by both self-report and report of a significant other. Results indicated that the parents of children with ADHD had higher ratings of inattention/cognitive problems, hyperactivity/restlessness, impulsivity/emotional lability, and lower self-concept than parents of children without ADHD on both self-report and other-report ratings. Within the ADHD sample of children, other-report ratings of inattention/cognitive problems and impulsivity/emotional lability were higher for biological parents compared to nonbiological parents whereas self-ratings were not related to biological status. These findings support previous research documenting familial aggregation of ADHD and appear to strengthen the hypothesis that there is a genetic contribution to ADHD.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Duke University Medical Center, Box 3431, Durham, North Carolina, 27710

    Jeffery N. Epstein

  2. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina

    C. Keith Conners

  3. Pepperdine University, California

    Drew Erhardt

  4. Ohio State University, Ohio

    L. Eugene Arnold

  5. Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Lily Hechtman

  6. University of California, Berkeley, California

    Stephen P. Hinshaw

  7. Purdue University, Indiana

    Betsy Hoza

  8. Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York

    Jeffrey H. Newcorn

  9. University of California, Irvine, California

    James M. Swanson

  10. National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, Maryland

    Benedetto Vitiello

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  1. Jeffery N. Epstein
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  10. Benedetto Vitiello
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Epstein, J.N., Conners, C.K., Erhardt, D. et al. Familial Aggregation of ADHD Characteristics. J Abnorm Child Psychol 28, 585–594 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005187216138

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005187216138

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