Top

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Published in:

01-04-2017 | Original Paper

An epidemiological study of ADHD and conduct disorder: does family conflict moderate the association?

Authors: Inga Dora Sigfusdottir, Bryndis Bjork Asgeirsdottir, Hildigunnur Anna Hall, Jon Fridrik Sigurdsson, Susan Young, Gisli H. Gudjonsson

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 4/2017

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the role of family conflict in the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD).

Methods

A cross-sectional national population survey was carried out among 10,838 14–16 year old students in all secondary schools in Iceland. Three latent measures, financial status, ADHD and CD, and one observed measure, family structure, were included in the study. A structural equation model was used to evaluate direct effects between ADHD and CD for four different groups; females and males, experiencing family conflict and those not experiencing family conflict.

Results

ADHD was significantly and positively associated with CD for all groups. When controlling for financial status and family structure it was found that ADHD was positively and significantly associated with CD for adolescent females and males not experiencing family conflict as well as for those experiencing family conflict. The link between ADHD and CD was significantly stronger for those adolescents who had experienced family conflict compared to those who had not experienced family conflict. These results suggest that family conflict moderates the association between ADHD and CD for both girls and boys.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that family environment and ADHD symptoms are important when predicting CD among adolescent youth. Most notably, family conflict exacerbates the effects of ADHD symptoms on CD among both females and males.

Polanczyk G, Silva de Lima M, Bernardo Lessa H, Biederman J, Rohde LA (2007) The Worldwide prevalence of ADHD: a systematic review and metaregression analysis. Am J Psychiatry 164(6):942–948CrossRefPubMed

Biederman J, Faraone SV (2005) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Lancet 366(9481):237–248. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66915-2 CrossRefPubMed

Anderson JC, Williams S, McGee R, Silva PA (1987) Dsm-iii disorders in preadolescent children: prevalence in a large sample from the general population. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44(1):69–76. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1987.01800130081010 CrossRefPubMed

Biederman J, Newcorn J, Sprich S (1991) Comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with conduct, depressive, anxiety, and other disorders. Am J Psychiatry 148(5):564–577CrossRefPubMed

Bird HR, Canino G, Rubio-Stipec M et al (1988) Estimnates of the prevalence of childhood maladjustment in a community survey in puerto rico: the use of combined measures. Arch Gen Psychiatry 45(12):1120–1126. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1988.01800360068010 CrossRefPubMed

Thapar A, Harrington R, McGuffin P (2001) Examining the comorbidity of ADHD-related behaviours and conduct problems using a twin study design. Br J Psychiatry 179(3):224CrossRefPubMed

Daley D, Birchwood J (2010) ADHD and academic performance: why does ADHD impact on academic performance and what can be done to support ADHD children in the classroom? Child Care Health Dev 36(4):455–464. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.01046.x CrossRefPubMed

Loe IM, Feldman HM (2007) Academic and educational outcomes of children with ADHD. J Pediatr Psychol 32(6):643–654CrossRefPubMed

Spira EG, Fischel JE (2005) The impact of preschool inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity on social and academic development: a review. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 46(7):755–773. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01466.x CrossRefPubMed

10.

Gudjonsson GH, Sigurdsson JF, Sigfusdottir ID, Young S (2012) An epidemiological study of ADHD symptoms among young persons and the relationship with cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and illicit drug use. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 53(3):304–312. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02489.x CrossRefPubMed

11.

Molina BSG, Pelham WE Jr (2003) Childhood predictors of adolescent substance use in a longitudinal study of children with ADHD. J Abnorm Psychol 112(3):497–507. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.112.3.497 CrossRefPubMed

12.

Lambert NM, Hartsough CS (1998) Prospective study of tobacco smoking and substance dependencies among samples of ADHD and non-ADHD participants. J Learn Disabil 31(6):533–544. doi:10.1177/002221949803100603 CrossRefPubMed

13.

Lee SS, Humphreys KL, Flory K, Liu R, Glass K (2011) Prospective association of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use and abuse/dependence: a meta-analytic review. Clin Psychol Rev 31(3):328–341. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2011.01.006 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

14.

Young S, Sedgwick O (2015) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and substance misuse: an evaluation of causal hypotheses and treatment considerations. Expert Rev Neurother 15(9):1005–1014. doi:10.1586/14737175.2015.1059756 CrossRefPubMed

15.

Wilens TE, Martelon M, Joshi G, Bateman C, Fried R, Petty C, Biederman J (2011) Does ADHD predict substance-use disorders? A 10-year follow-up study of young adults with ADHD. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatry 50(6):543–553. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2011.01.021 CrossRef

16.

Gudjonsson GH, Sigurdsson JF, Sigfusdottir ID, Young S (2012) A national epidemiological study of offending and its relationship with ADHD symptoms and associated risk factors. J Atten Disord 18(1):3–13. doi:10.1177/1087054712437584 CrossRefPubMed

17.

Young S, Wells J, Gudjonsson GH (2010) Predictors of offending among prisoners: the role of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and substance use. J Psychopharmacol 25(11):1524–1532. doi:10.1177/0269881110370502 CrossRefPubMed

18.

Young S, Moss D, Sedgwick O, Fridman M, Hodgkins P (2015) A meta-analysis of the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in incarcerated populations. Psychol Med 45(2):247–258. doi:10.1017/S0033291714000762 CrossRefPubMed

19.

Young S, Sedgwick O, Fridman M, Gudjonsson G, Hodgkins P, Lantigua M, González RA (2015) Co-morbid psychiatric disorders among incarcerated ADHD populations: a meta-analysis. Psychol Med 45(12):2499–2510. doi:10.1017/S0033291715000598 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

20.

Gudjonsson GH, Sigurdsson JF, Sigfusdottir ID, Asgeirsdottir BB, González RA, Young S (2016) A national epidemiological study investigating risk factors for police interrogation and false confession among juveniles and young persons. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 51(3):359–367. doi:10.1007/s00127-015-1145-8 CrossRefPubMed

21.

Chronis-Tuscano A, Molina BG, Pelham WE et al (2010) Very early predictors of adolescent depression and suicide attempts in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry 67(10):1044–1051. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.127 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

22.

Kuhne M, Schachar R, Tannock R (1997) Impact of comorbid oppositional or conduct problems on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36(12):1715–1725. doi:10.1097/00004583-199712000-00020 CrossRefPubMed

23.

Dalsgaard S, Østergaard SD, Leckman JF, Mortensen PB, Pedersen MG (2015) Mortality in children, adolescents, and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a nationwide cohort study. Lancet 385(9983):2190–2196. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61684-6 CrossRefPubMed

24.

Asgeirsdottir BB, Sigfusdottir ID, Gudjonsson GH, Sigurdsson JF (2011) Associations between sexual abuse and family conflict/violence, self-injurious behavior, and substance use: The mediating role of depressed mood and anger. Child Abuse Neglect 35(3):210–219. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.12.003 CrossRefPubMed

25.

Sigfusdottir ID, Asgeirsdottir BB, Gudjonsson GH, Sigurdsson JF (2013) Suicidal ideations and attempts among adolescents subjected to childhood sexual abuse and family conflict/violence: the mediating role of anger and depressed mood. J Adolesc 36(6):1227–1236. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2013.10.001 CrossRefPubMed

26.

Sigfusdottir I-D, Farkas G, Silver E (2004) The role of depressed mood and anger in the relationship between family conflict and delinquent behavior. J Youth Adolesc 33(6):509–522. doi:10.1023/B:JOYO.0000048065.17118.63 CrossRef

27.

Burt S, Krueger RF, McGue M, Iacono W (2003) Parent-child conflict and the comorbidity among childhood externalizing disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry 60(5):505–513. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.60.5.505 CrossRefPubMed

28.

Walther CAP, Cheong J, Molina BSG, Pelham WE Jr, Wymbs BT, Belendiuk KA, Pedersen SL (2012) Substance use and delinquency among adolescents with childhood ADHD: the protective role of parenting. Psychol Addict Behav 26(3):585–598. doi:10.1037/a0026818 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

29.

Gershon J (2002) A meta-analytic review of gender differences in ADHD. J Atten Disord 5(3):143–154. doi:10.1177/108705470200500302 CrossRefPubMed

30.

Biederman J, Milberger S, Faraone SV et al (1995) Family-environment risk factors for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a test of rutter’s indicators of adversity. Arch Gen Psychiatry 52(6):464–470. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1995.03950180050007 CrossRefPubMed

31.

Biederman J, Faraone SV, Monuteaux MC (2002) Differential effect of environmental adversity by gender: Rutter’s index of adversity in a group of boys and girls with and without ADHD. Am J Psychiatry 159(9):1556–1562. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.159.9.1556 CrossRefPubMed

32.

Counts CA, Nigg JT, Stawicki JA, Rappley MD, Von Eye A (2005) Family adversity in DSM-IV ADHD combined and inattentive subtypes and associated disruptive behavior problems. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatry 44(7):690–698. doi:10.1097/01.chi.0000162582.87710.66 CrossRef

33.

Hjern A, Weitoft GR, Lindblad F (2010) Social adversity predicts ADHD-medication in school children—a national cohort study. Acta Pædiatrica 99(6):920–924. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01638.x CrossRefPubMed

34.

Rydell A-M (2010) Family factors and children’s disruptive behaviour: an investigation of links between demographic characteristics, negative life events and symptoms of ODD and ADHD. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 45(2):233–244. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0060-2 CrossRefPubMed

35.

Arbuckle J (2008) Amos 17.0 user’s guide. SPSS Incorporated Chicago

36.

Barkley RA (1998) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a handbook for diagnosis and treatment. Guilford Press, New York

37.

American Psychiatric A, American Psychiatric Association. Task Force on D-I (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV. DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS. American Psychiatric Association

38.

Magnússon P, Smári J, Sigurðardóttir D, Baldursson G, Sigmundsson J, Kristjánsson K, Sigurðardóttir S, Hreiðarsson S, Sigurbjörnsdóttir S, Guðmundsson ÓÓ (2006) Validity of self-report and informant rating scales of adult ADHD symptoms in comparison with a semistructured diagnostic interview. J Atten Disord 9(3):494–503. doi:10.1177/1087054705283650 CrossRefPubMed

39.

Lewinsohn PM, Rohde P, Farrington DP (2000) The OADP-CDS: a brief screener for adolescent conduct disorder. J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatry 39(7):888–895. doi:10.1097/00004583-200007000-00018 CrossRef

40.

Maruyama GM (1998) Basics of structural equation modeling. Sage Publications, Thousand OaksCrossRef

41.

Anderson JC, Gerbing DW (1982) Some methods for respecifying measurement models to obtain unidimensional construct measurement. J Marketing Res 19(4):453–460. doi:10.2307/3151719 CrossRef

42.

Anderson JC, Gerbing DW (1988) Structural equation modeling in practice: a review and recommended two-step approach. Psychol Bull 103(3):411–423. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.411 CrossRef

43.

Gerbing DW, Anderson JC (1992) Monte Carlo evaluations of goodness of fit indices for structural equation models. Sociol Methods Res 21(2):132–160. doi:10.1177/0049124192021002002 CrossRef

44.

McDonald RP, Ho M-HR (2002) Principles and practice in reporting structural equation analyses. Psychol Methods 7(1):64–82. doi:10.1037/1082-989X.7.1.64 CrossRefPubMed

45.

Acock AC (2005) Working with missing values. J Marriage Fam 67(4):1012–1028. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2005.00191.x CrossRef

46.

Enders CK, Bandalos DL (2001) The relative performance of full information maximum likelihood estimation for missing data in structural equation models. Struct Equ Model 8(3):430–457. doi:10.1207/S15328007SEM0803_5 CrossRef

47.

Arbuckle JL, Wothke W (1999) Amos 4.0 user’s guide. SmallWaters Corporation Chicago, IL

48.

Burt SA, McGue M, Iacono WG, Krueger RF (2006) Differential parent–child relationships and adolescent externalizing symptoms: cross-lagged analyses within a monozygotic twin differences design. Dev Psychol 42(6):1289–1298. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.42.6.1289 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

49.

Asherson P, Young S, Adamou M, Bolea B, Coghill D, Gudjonsson G, Kustow J, Muller U, Pitts M, Thome J (2013) Handbook for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults. UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN). 1 edn. Springer Healthcare Communications, London. doi:10.1007/978-1-908517-79-1

Title: An epidemiological study of ADHD and conduct disorder: does family conflict moderate the association?
Authors: Inga Dora Sigfusdottir
Bryndis Bjork Asgeirsdottir
Hildigunnur Anna Hall
Jon Fridrik Sigurdsson
Susan Young
Gisli H. Gudjonsson
Publication date: 01-04-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 4/2017
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1352-6

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

An epidemiological study of ADHD and conduct disorder: does family conflict moderate the association?

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 4/2017

Life course persistent and adolescence limited conduct disorder in a nationally representative US sample: prevalence, predictors, and outcomes

Postpartum depression risk factors among recent refugee, asylum-seeking, non-refugee immigrant, and Canadian-born women: results from a prospective cohort study

Erratum to: A prospective cohort study of depression course, functional disability, and NEET status in help-seeking young adults

Family structure and childhood mental disorders: new findings from Australia

What does being on a community treatment orders entail? A 3-year follow-up of the OCTET CTO cohort

Awareness of treatment history in family and friends, and mental health care seeking propensity