Top

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Published in:

Open Access 01-06-2019 | Disturbance of the Social Behaviour | Original Paper

Evidence of concurrent and prospective associations between early maltreatment and ADHD through childhood and adolescence

Authors: Rafael A. González, María C. Vélez-Pastrana, Eamon McCrory, Constantinos Kallis, Jivelisse Aguila, Glorisa Canino, Hector Bird

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 6/2019

Abstract

Purpose

An emerging body of work suggests a link between childhood maltreatment and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, research examining the role of maltreatment in the early course of the disorder lacks robust evidence from longitudinal studies. Our aim was to examine concurrent and prospective associations between maltreatment experiences and ADHD diagnosis and sex differences, and to estimate the association between repetitive maltreatment exposure and ADHD through childhood and adolescence.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Boricua Youth Study, a longitudinal study of 2480 children and adolescents of Puerto Rican background. Neglect, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and foster placement were regressed on ADHD diagnosis measured at each of three waves using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV. Multilevel regressions estimated the effects of exposure on ADHD, adjusted by age, sex, income, household education, parental psychopathology, comorbidity and ADHD medication status.

Results

Emotional abuse and foster placement had robust associations with ADHD diagnosis. For girls, physical abuse had a threefold increase in the odds of having ADHD diagnosis; for boys, associations were observed only for emotional abuse. Prospective models examining the risk of ADHD following maltreatment provided initial evidence for the effects of physical abuse on ADHD, and a linear trend for repetitive exposure suggested increased probability for disorder persistence.

Conclusions

Associations between early maltreatment and ADHD were robust. Different categories of maltreatment increase the likelihood of ADHD for girls and boys. Increased exposure to maltreatment may predict symptom persistence. Interventions addressing ADHD must consider the effects of both sex and family environment.

Available only for authorised users

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2016) Child Maltreatment 2014. In: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services AfCaF, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/research-data. Accessed 25 Oct 2016

Branje SJT, van Doorn MD, van der Valk IE, Meeus WHJ (2009) Parent–adolescent conflict, conflict resolution, and adolescent adjustment. J Appl Dev Psychol 30:195–204CrossRef

Johnson JG, Cohen P, Brown J, Smailes EM, Bernstein DP (1999) Childhood maltreatment increases risk for personality disorders during early adulthood. Arch Gen Psychiatry 56(7):600–606CrossRef

Puetz VB, McCrory E (2015) Exploring the relationship between childhood maltreatment and addiction: a review of the neurocognitive evidence. Curr Addict Rep 2(4):318–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-015-0073-8 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Walker JL, Carey PD, Mohr N, Stein DJ, Seedat S (2004) Gender differences in the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse and in the development of pediatric PTSD. Arch Women Ment Health 7(2):111–121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-003-0039-z CrossRef

Cohen AJ, Adler N, Kaplan SJ, Pelcovitz D, Mandel FS (2002) Interactional effects of marital status and physical abuse on adolescent psychopathology. Child Abuse Neglect 26(3):277–288CrossRef

Fuller-Thomson E, Lewis DA (2015) The relationship between early adversities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Child Abuse Negl 47:94–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.03.005 CrossRefPubMed

Guendelman MD, Owens EB, Galan C, Gard A, Hinshaw SP (2015) Early-adult correlates of maltreatment in girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: increased risk for internalizing symptoms and suicidality. Dev Psychopathol 28:1–14CrossRef

Capusan AJ, Kuja-Halkola R, Bendtsen P, Viding E, McCrory E, Marteinsdottir I, Larsson H (2016) Childhood maltreatment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adults: a large twin study. Psychol Med 46(12):2637–2646. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291716001021 CrossRefPubMed

10.

Thapar A, O’Donovan M, Owen MJ (2005) The genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Hum Mol Genet 14 Spec No. 2:R275–R282. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddi263 CrossRefPubMed

11.

Willcutt EG (2012) The prevalence of DSM-IV attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analytic review. Neurotherapeutics 9(3):490–499. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-012-0135-8 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

12.

Sayal K, Prasad V, Daley D, Ford T, Coghill D (2018) ADHD in children and young people: prevalence, care pathways, and service provision. Lancet Psychiatry 5(2):175–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30167-0 CrossRefPubMed

13.

Linares LO, Li M, Shrout PE, Ramirez-Gaite M, Hope S, Albert A, Castellanos FX (2010) The course of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms after foster placement. Pediatrics 125(3):e489–e498. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-1285 CrossRefPubMed

14.

Perales J, Olaya B, Fernandez A, Alonso J, Vilagut G, Forero CG, San L, Alda JA, Haro JM (2013) Association of childhood adversities with the first onset of mental disorders in Spain: results from the ESEMeD project. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48(3):371–384CrossRef

15.

Ouyang L, Fang X, Mercy J, Perou R, Grosse SD (2008) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and child maltreatment: a population-based study. J Pediatr 153(6):851–856CrossRef

16.

Briscoe-Smith AM, Hinshaw SP (2006) Linkages between child abuse and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in girls: behavioral and social correlates. Child Abuse Negl 30(11):1239–1255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2006.04.008 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

17.

Rucklidge JJ, Brown DL, Crawford S, Kaplan BJ (2006) Retrospective reports of childhood trauma in adults with ADHD. J Atten Disord 9(4):631–641CrossRef

18.

Ford JD, Racusin R, Ellis CG, Daviss WB et al (2000) Child maltreatment, other trauma exposure, and posttraumatic symptomatology among children with oppositional defiant and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Child Maltreat 5(3):205–217CrossRef

19.

Merry SN, Andrews LK (1994) Psychiatric status of sexually abused children 12 months after disclosure of abuse. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 33(7):939–944. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199409000-00002 CrossRefPubMed

20.

Ford JD, Racusin R, Daviss WB, Ellis CG et al (1999) Trauma exposure among children with oppositional defiant disorder and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. J Consult Clin Psychol 67(5):776–789CrossRef

21.

Fisher HL, Caspi A, Moffitt TE, Wertz J, Gray R, Newbury J, Ambler A, Zavos H, Danese A, Mill J, Odgers CL, Pariante C, Wong CC, Arseneault L (2015) Measuring adolescents’ exposure to victimization: the environmental risk (E-Risk) longitudinal twin study. Dev Psychopathol 27(4 Pt 2):1399–1416. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579415000838 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

22.

Stern A, Agnew-Blais J, Danese A, Fisher HL, Jaffee SR, Matthews T, Polanczyk GV, Arseneault L (2018) Associations between abuse/neglect and ADHD from childhood to young adulthood: a prospective nationally-representative twin study. Child Abuse Negl 81:274–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.04.025 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

23.

Pelcovitz D, Kaplan SJ, DeRosa RR, Mandel FS, Salzinger S (2000) Psychiatric disorders in adolescents exposed to domestic violence and physical abuse. Am J Orthopsychiatry 70(3):360–369. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0087668 CrossRefPubMed

24.

Villodas MT, Litrownik AJ, Thompson R, Jones D, Roesch SC, Hussey JM, Block S, English DJ, Dubowitz H (2015) Developmental transitions in presentations of externalizing problems among boys and girls at risk for child maltreatment. Dev Psychopathol 27(1):205–219. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579414000728 CrossRefPubMed

25.

Becker KB, McCloskey LA (2002) Attention and conduct problems in children exposed to family violence. Am J Orthopsychiatry 72(1):83–91CrossRef

26.

Kelly PA, Viding E, Puetz VB, Palmer AL, Mechelli A, Pingault JB, Samuel S, McCrory EJ (2015) Sex differences in socioemotional functioning, attentional bias, and gray matter volume in maltreated children: a multilevel investigation. Dev Psychopathol 27(4 Pt 2):1591–1609CrossRef

27.

Cicchetti D, Cowell RA, Rogosch FA, Toth SL (2015) Childhood maltreatment and its effect on neurocognitive functioning: timing and chronicity matter. Dev Psychopathol 27(2):521–533CrossRef

28.

Herringa RJ, Birn RM, Ruttle PL, Burghy CA, Stodola DE, Davidson RJ, Essex MJ (2013) Childhood maltreatment is associated with altered fear circuitry and increased internalizing symptoms by late adolescence. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110(47):19119–19124. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1310766110 CrossRefPubMed

29.

Teicher MH, Samson JA (2016) Annual research review: enduring neurobiological effects of childhood abuse and neglect. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 57(3):241–266. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12507 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

30.

Hart H, Chantiluke K, Cubillo AI, Smith AB, Simmons A, Brammer MJ, Marquand AF, Rubia K (2014) Pattern classification of response inhibition in ADHD: toward the development of neurobiological markers for ADHD. Hum Brain Mapp 35(7):3083–3094. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.22386 CrossRefPubMed

31.

Spencer AE, Faraone SV, Bogucki OE, Pope AL, Uchida M, Milad MR, Spencer TJ, Woodworth KY, Biederman J (2016) Examining the association between posttraumatic stress disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychiatry 77(1):72–83. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.14r09479 CrossRefPubMed

32.

Daud A, Rydelius PA (2009) Comorbidity/overlapping between ADHD and PTSD in relation to IQ among children of traumatized/non-traumatized parents. J Atten Disord 13(2):188–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054708326271 CrossRefPubMed

33.

Nussbaum NL (2012) ADHD and female specific concerns: a review of the literature and clinical implications. J Atten Disord 16(2):87–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054711416909 CrossRefPubMed

34.

Finkelhor D, Ormrod R, Turner H, Hamby SL (2005) The victimization of children and youth: a comprehensive, national survey. Child Maltreat 10(1):5–25CrossRef

35.

Lewis T, Schwebel DC, Elliott MN, Visser SN, Toomey SL, McLaughlin KA, Cuccaro P, Tortolero Emery S, Banspach SW, Schuster MA (2015) The association between youth violence exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a sample of fifth-graders. Am J Orthopsychiatry 85(5):504–513. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000081 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

36.

Jackson LJ, O’Brien K, Pecora PJ (2011) Posttraumatic stress disorder among foster care alumni: the role of race, gender, and foster care context. Child Welf 90(5):71–93

37.

Elton A, Tripathi SP, Mletzko T, Young J, Cisler JM, James GA, Kilts CD (2014) Childhood maltreatment is associated with a sex-dependent functional reorganization of a brain inhibitory control network. Hum Brain Mapp 35(4):1654–1667CrossRef

38.

Bird HR, Davies M, Duarte CS, Shen S, Loeber R, Canino GJ (2006) A study of disruptive behavior disorders in Puerto Rican youth: II. Baseline prevalence, comorbidity, and correlates in two sites. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 45(9):1042–1053CrossRef

39.

Bravo M, Woodbury-Farina M, Canino GJ, Rubio-Stipec M (1993) The Spanish translation and cultural adaptation of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) in Puerto Rico. Cult Med Psychiatry 17(3):329–344CrossRef

40.

Goodman SH, Hoven CW, Narrow WE, Cohen P, Fielding B, Alegria M, Leaf PJ, Kandel D, Horwitz SM, Bravo M, Moore R, Dulcan MK (1998) Measurement of risk for mental disorders and competence in a psychiatric epidemiologic community survey: the National Institute of Mental Health Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders (MECA) Study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 33(4):162–173CrossRef

41.

Finkelhor D, Dziuba-Leatherman J (1994) Children as victims of violence: a national survey. Pediatrics 94(4 Pt 1):413–420PubMed

42.

Shaffer D, Fisher P, Lucas CP, Dulcan MK, Schwab-Stone ME (2000) NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (NIMH DISC-IV): description, differences from previous versions, and reliability of some common diagnoses. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 39(1):28–38. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200001000-00014 CrossRefPubMed

43.

Lish JD, Weissman MM, Adams PB, Hoven CW, Bird H (1995) Family psychiatric screening instruments for epidemiologic studies: pilot testing and validation. Psychiatry Res 57(2):169–180CrossRef

44.

Musser ED, Karalunas SL, Dieckmann N, Peris TS, Nigg JT (2016) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder developmental trajectories related to parental expressed emotion. J Abnorm Psychol 125(2):182–195. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000097 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

45.

Richards JS, Vasquez AA, Rommelse NN, Oosterlaan J, Hoekstra PJ, Franke B, Hartman CA, Buitelaar JK (2014) A follow-up study of maternal expressed emotion toward children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): relation with severity and persistence of ADHD and comorbidity. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 53(3):311–319 e311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.11.011 CrossRefPubMed

46.

Lifford KJ, Harold GT, Thapar A (2009) Parent–child hostility and child ADHD symptoms: a genetically sensitive and longitudinal analysis. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 50(12):1468–1476. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2009.02107.x CrossRefPubMed

47.

Harold GT, Leve LD, Barrett D, Elam K, Neiderhiser JM, Natsuaki MN, Shaw DS, Reiss D, Thapar A (2013) Biological and rearing mother influences on child ADHD symptoms: revisiting the developmental interface between nature and nurture. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 54(10):1038–1046. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12100 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

48.

Hadianfard H (2014) Child abuse in a group of children with ADHD in comparison with normal children. Int J Commun Based Nurs Midwifery IJCBNM 2(2):77–84

49.

Barkley RA (2001) The executive functions and self-regulation: an evolutionary neuropsychological perspective. Neuropsychol Rev 11(1):1–29CrossRef

50.

Velez-Pastrana MC, Gonzalez RA, Rodriguez Cardona J, Purcell Baerga P, Alicea Rodriguez A, Levin FR (2015) Psychometric properties of the Barkley deficits in executive functioning scale: a Spanish-language version in a community sample of Puerto Rican adults. Psychol Assess. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000171 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

51.

Cowell RA, Cicchetti D, Rogosch FA, Toth SL (2015) Childhood maltreatment and its effect on neurocognitive functioning: timing and chronicity matter. Dev Psychopathol 27(2):521–533. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579415000139 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

52.

Sonuga-Barke EJ, Oades RD, Psychogiou L, Chen W, Franke B, Buitelaar J, Banaschewski T, Ebstein RP, Gil M, Anney R, Miranda A, Roeyers H, Rothenberger A, Sergeant J, Steinhausen HC, Thompson M, Asherson P, Faraone SV (2009) Dopamine and serotonin transporter genotypes moderate sensitivity to maternal expressed emotion: the case of conduct and emotional problems in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 50(9):1052–1063. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2009.02095.x CrossRefPubMed

53.

Kim-Cohen J, Caspi A, Taylor A, Williams B, Newcombe R, Craig IW, Moffitt TE (2006) MAOA, maltreatment, and gene–environment interaction predicting children’s mental health: new evidence and a meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry 11(10):903–913. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001851 CrossRefPubMed

54.

Cartwright KL, Bitsakou P, Daley D, Gramzow RH, Psychogiou L, Simonoff E, Thompson MJ, Sonuga-Barke EJ (2011) Disentangling child and family influences on maternal expressed emotion toward children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 50(10):1042–1053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2011.07.006 CrossRefPubMed

55.

Childs AW, Fite PJ, Moore TM, Lochman JE, Pardini DA (2014) Bidirectional associations between parenting behavior and child callous-unemotional traits: does parental depression moderate this link? J Abnorm Child Psychol 42(7):1141–1151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9856-y CrossRefPubMed

56.

Waller R, Gardner F, Viding E, Shaw DS, Dishion TJ, Wilson MN, Hyde LW (2014) Bidirectional associations between parental warmth, callous unemotional behavior, and behavior problems in high-risk preschoolers. J Abnorm Child Psychol 42(8):1275–1285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9871-z CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

57.

Pardini DA, Fite PJ, Burke JD (2008) Bidirectional associations between parenting practices and conduct problems in boys from childhood to adolescence: the moderating effect of age and African–American ethnicity. J Abnorm Child Psychol 36(5):647–662. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-007-9162-z CrossRefPubMed

58.

Stepp SD, Whalen DJ, Scott LN, Zalewski M, Loeber R, Hipwell AE (2014) Reciprocal effects of parenting and borderline personality disorder symptoms in adolescent girls. Dev Psychopathol 26(2):361–378. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413001041 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

59.

Besemer S, Loeber R, Hinshaw SP, Pardini DA (2016) Bidirectional associations between externalizing behavior problems and maladaptive parenting within parent–son dyads across childhood. J Abnorm Child Psychol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-0124-6 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

60.

Li JJ, Lee SS (2012) Interaction of dopamine transporter (DAT1) genotype and maltreatment for ADHD: a latent class analysis. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 53(9):997–1005. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02563.x CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

61.

Lehmann S, Havik OE, Havik T, Heiervang ER (2013) Mental disorders in foster children: a study of prevalence, comorbidity and risk factors. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 7(1):39. https://doi.org/10.1186/1753-2000-7-39 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

62.

Mandel DR, Lehman DR, Yuille JC (1995) Reasoning about the removal of a child from home: a comparison of police officers and social workers. J Appl Soc Psychol 25(10):906–921CrossRef

63.

Jones LP (2015) Was taking me out of the home necessary?’ Perspectives of foster youth on the necessity for removal. Fam Soc 96(2):108–115CrossRef

64.

Bowlby J (1969) Attachment and loss: volume 1: attachment. The International Psycho-Analytical Library, and The Hogarth Press, London

65.

Storebo OJ, Rasmussen PD, Simonsen E (2016) Association between insecure attachment and ADHD: environmental mediating factors. J Atten Disord 20(2):187–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054713501079 CrossRefPubMed

66.

Sonuga-Barke EJ, Rubia K (2008) Inattentive/overactive children with histories of profound institutional deprivation compared with standard ADHD cases: a brief report. Child Care Health Dev 34(5):596–602. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2008.00863.x CrossRefPubMed

67.

Rutter M (1998) Developmental catch-up, and deficit, following adoption after severe global early privation. English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) Study Team. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 39(4):465–476CrossRef

68.

Kennedy M, Kreppner J, Knights N, Kumsta R, Maughan B, Golm D, Rutter M, Schlotz W, Sonuga-Barke EJ (2016) Early severe institutional deprivation is associated with a persistent variant of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: clinical presentation, developmental continuities and life circumstances in the English and Romanian Adoptees study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 57(10):1113–1125. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12576 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

69.

Bied A, Biederman J, Faraone S (2017) Parent-based diagnosis of ADHD is as accurate as a teacher-based diagnosis of ADHD. Postgrad Med 129(3):375–381. https://doi.org/10.1080/00325481.2017.1288064 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Title: Evidence of concurrent and prospective associations between early maltreatment and ADHD through childhood and adolescence
Authors: Rafael A. González
María C. Vélez-Pastrana
Eamon McCrory
Constantinos Kallis
Jivelisse Aguila
Glorisa Canino
Hector Bird
Publication date: 01-06-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keyword: Disturbance of the Social Behaviour
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 6/2019
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01659-0

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Evidence of concurrent and prospective associations between early maltreatment and ADHD through childhood and adolescence

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 6/2019

Quality of life, recovery and decision-making: a mixed methods study of mental health recovery in social care

Associative stigma experienced by mental health professionals in China and the United States

Prevalence of anxiety disorders and symptoms in people with hearing impairment: a systematic review

Recognising autism: a latent transition analysis of parental reports of child autistic spectrum disorder ‘red flag’ traits before and after age 3

What drives changes in institutionalised mental health care? A qualitative study of the perspectives of professional experts

DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder maximizes diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in preschool children