Communication between infant boys and their mothers with ADHD symptoms.

AIM: This preliminary longitudinal study examined timing features and type of interaction between infant boys and their mothers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms METHOD: Ten infants and their mothers with ADHD symptoms and 10 control dyads were video recorded at home during free play interactions when infants were 2-, 4-, 6-, and 9-month old. Microanalysis of the video recordings was carried out to assess synchronization, turn-taking, and type of interaction. Infants' temperament was also assessed RESULTS: ADHD dyads showed shorter synchronization at 2 months and shorter duration of Joint Attention. Partial least squares regression analysis revealed that infant's ability for Joint Attention is predicted mainly by duration of maternal behavior as well as by earlier forms of communication, that is, protoconversations. CONCLUSION: The data from our preliminary study suggest that mothers with ADHD symptoms may have difficulties maintaining their behavior for enough time possibly due to the core symptoms of the disorder, that is, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This maternal deficit seems to affect temporal coordination with their infants and maybe the development of more complex forms of interaction. Clinical implications of these findings are also discussed.

Propósito: Este preliminar estudio longitudinal examinó las características de tiempo y el tipo de interacción entre infantes varones y sus madres con síntomas de Trastorno con Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad (TDAH). Método: Diez infantes y sus madres con síntomas de TDAH y 10 díadas de control fueron grabados en video en casa durante interacciones de juego libre cuando los infantes tenían 2, 4, 6 y 9 meses de edad. Se llevó a cabo un microanálisis de las grabaciones de video para evaluar la sincronización, el turnarse y el tipo de interacción. También se evaluó el temperamento de los infantes. Resultados: Las díadas TDAH mostraron una más corta sincronización a los 2 meses y una duración más corta de la Atención Compartida. El análisis de Regresión de Cuadrados Mínimos Parciales reveló que la habilidad del infante para la Atención Compartida es afirmada principalmente por la duración de la conducta materna, así como también por formas más tempranas de comunicación, v.g. protoconversaciones. Conclusión: La información de nuestro estudio preliminar sugiere que las madres con síntomas de TDAH pudieran tener dificultades para mantener su conducta por suficiente tiempo posiblemente a causa de los síntomas centrales del trastorno, v.g. falta de atención, hiperactividad e impulsividad. Este déficit materno parece afectar la coordinación temporal con sus infantes y quizás el desarrollo de más complejas formas de interacción. También se discuten las implicaciones clínicas de estos resultados.

But: Cette étude longitudinale préliminaire a examiné les traits de timing et les types d'interaction entre des nourrissons garçons et leurs mères avec des symptômes de TDAH. Méthode: Dix bébés et leurs mères avec des symptômes de TDAH et 1- dyades de contrôle ont été filmés à la vidéo durant des interactions de jeu libre quand les bébés avaient 2, 4, 6, et 9 mois. Une microanalyse des enregistrements vidéo a été faite afin d'évaluer la synchronisation, les tours de role et le type d'interaction. Le tempérament des bébés a aussi été évalué. Résultats: Les dyades TDAH ont fait preuve d'une synchronisation plus courte à deux mois et d'une durée plus courte d'Attention Commune. Une analyse de régression partielle par les moindres carrés a révélé que la capacité du nourrisson à une Attention Commune est prédite essentiellement par la durée du comportement maternel ainsi que par les formes précédentes de communication, comme des protoconversations. Conclusion: Les données de notre étude préliminaire suggèrent que les mères avec des symptômes TDAH peuvent avoir des difficultés à maintenir leur comportement pour assez de temps, peut-être du fait des symptômes essentiels du trouble: inattention, hyperactivité et impulsivité. Ce déficit maternel semble affecter la coordination temporelle avec leurs bébés et peut-être le développement de formes d'interaction plus complexes. Les implications cliniques de ces résultats sont aussi discutées.

Association between story recall and other language abilities in schoolchildren with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of working memory, vocabulary, and grammar on narrative comprehension in children with ADHD. METHOD: Participants were 25 schoolchildren with ADHD and 25 typically developing (TD) children matched for chronological age and performance IQ. Children were assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III), a verbal IQ test, and a story recall task. RESULTS: It was shown that children with ADHD recall less information from the stories than did TD children, while they are less sensitive to the importance of the information they recall. Moreover, it was found that children with ADHD experience problems in answering factual questions. Further analysis revealed that deficiencies in narrative comprehension may be accounted for by problems in working memory. CONCLUSION: The discussion focuses on the role of working memory in narrative comprehension and the implications of these findings for intervention approaches.

Social and mental health profiles of young male offenders in detention in Greece.

BACKGROUND: Among young offenders, mental health problems have been linked both to more serious delinquent acts and to high recidivism rates, but there has been little study of this in Greece. AIMS: The aims of this study were to describe demographic and family characteristics of young incarcerated male offenders, to determine the prevalence of mental disorders among them and to compare native Greeks with immigrants on these variables. METHODS: Ninety-three young males, randomly selected from the three main juvenile detention facilities in Greece, completed the Greek version of the Youth Self Report (YSR); the institutions' social workers completed a questionnaire designed for the study on the youths' demographics and offending. RESULTS: Results revealed over-representation of immigrants, high levels of psychosocial adversity (large family size, low parental educational level, poverty and family offending history) and high prevalence rates not only of externalizing disorders, such as conduct disorder, but also internalizing disorders, including anxiety, depression and somatizing problems. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Young males in Greek correctional institutions need support at many levels, and especially for mental health problems. This will have implications for staff training and juvenile justice system reform.

Adults' self-efficacy beliefs and referral attitudes for boys and girls with AD/HD.

Males with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) are referred to specialists significantly more frequently than females. The aim of this study was to examine differences in mothers' and prospective educators' self-efficacy beliefs and severity perceptions towards boys and girls with AD/HD and to explore the inter-relationships between those perceptions and referral judgements. One hundred and fifteen female prospective preschool educators and 118 mothers of boys and girls aged 4-6, enrolled in kindergartens in Athens completed a questionnaire that: (a) presented a vignette describing a typical boy or girl with AD/HD, and (b) was followed by two scales exploring severity perceptions and self-efficacy beliefs with reference to the child described in the vignette. Mothers' sense of self-efficacy was higher than educators' and both samples had higher sense of self-efficacy towards girls with AD/HD than boys. Educators rated the boys' behaviour as significantly more severe than girls'. Finally, perceived self-efficacy predicted severity perceptions and severity perceptions predicted referral decisions. To conclude, adults' differentiated perceptions of severity of AD/HD in boys and girls, which might be influenced by their own limited self-efficacy beliefs, especially towards males, might account for a proportion of the differences in referral ratio of boys and girls with AD/HD.

Parents' causal attributions about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: the effect of child and parent sex.

BACKGROUND: Boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) demonstrate disruptive behaviour at significantly higher rates compared to girls. Disruptive behaviour often develops as a result of negative interaction patterns within the caregiving relationship. Given the importance of parental cognitions as mediators of parental behaviour, the consideration of parent and child sex in the investigation of causal attributions regarding AD/HD may, at least partially, explain sex differences in the prevalence of disruptive behaviour among children with AD/HD. AIM: To examine the effect of parent and child sex on parental causal attributions and reactions about AD/HD and to investigate the interrelationships between these variables. SAMPLE: Three hundred and seventeen mothers and 317 fathers of boys and girls aged 4-6 years and enrolled in kindergartens in Athens. METHOD: A Greek version of the Parental Account of the Causes of Childhood Problems Questionnaire was used, which followed a vignette about a hypothetical child displaying symptoms of AD/HD. Half of the participants received a male and another half received a female version of the vignette. RESULTS: The child's sex greatly influenced parents' causal attributions about AD/HD. Higher ratings of intentionality were conferred to boys with AD/HD than girls and these attributions were related to stricter responses towards boys. In contrast, parents who considered biological dysfunction as underlying AD/HD, they mostly did so in the case of girls. Minimal effect of parent sex on causal attributions was found. CONCLUSIONS: Because causal attributions of intentionality relate to the response of more strictness and such attributions are more prevalent for boys than girls, then these perceptions about the aetiology of AD/HD in boys may be at the basis of negative interaction patterns. The increase of such interaction patterns may place boys at a more vulnerable position towards the development of secondary behaviour problems.

Maternal emotions and self-efficacy beliefs in relation to boys and girls with AD/HD.

This study examined the impact of child gender on mothers' emotional responses to AD/HD, self-efficacy beliefs and perceived severity of AD/HD. Mothers (N = 118) of pre-schoolers were presented with a vignette describing a typical boy or girl with AD/HD and then completed three scales relating to their emotional response to AD/HD behaviour, their sense of parenting efficacy and their attributions about the severity of problems described. AD/HD behaviour elicited negative emotions and maternal self-efficacy was low, especially for male AD/HD. Perceived severity of the behaviour was negatively correlated with maternal sense of self-efficacy. These findings suggest that mothers of "normal" children have fixed negative emotions and low sense of self-efficacy towards a child with AD/HD and that these factors are key elements for change in the implementation of a therapeutic programme.