Prevalence of Mood Disorders in Mothers Of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have more problems than parents of normal children due to the prevalence of behavioral abnormalities in children with ADHD. Mood disorders in parents, including mothers can lead to lower tolerance thresholds and the use of punitive methods to control the children, which can cause other complications. Therefore, evaluation of mood disorders and timely treatment could be of great help in treating these children and improving the prognosis of the disease.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 125 mothers of children with ADHD attending two psychiatric clinics in Babol, Iran 2014-2016. Data were collected using the Conners' Parent Rating Scales - Revised (CPRS-R) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). Data analysis was done in SPSS V22.

The prevalence of mood disorders in mothers of 6-14 year-old children with ADHD was 44% (n=55). Among the mood disorders, dysthymia (27%) was the most common disorder. Forty-five mothers (36%) had depression and 9 (7.2%) had bipolar disorder.

According to current study, depression was the most common mood disorder in mothers. Maternal depression influences the management of a child with ADHD, so, early diagnosis and treatment of maternal depression play major roles in the prognosis of ADHD in a child with this disorder.