Factors Associated With Bullying Victimization and Bullying Perpetration in Children and Adolescents With ADHD: 2016 to 2017 National Survey of Children's Health.

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics associated with bullying involvement in pediatric ADHD. METHODS: Data from the 2016 to 2017 National Survey of Children's Health for children aged 6 to 17 years with ADHD were evaluated to assess the association between parent-reported bullying victimization or perpetration and the following potential predictors: demographic characteristics, family factors, school factors, and child conditions/behaviors. RESULTS: Among children with ADHD, 46.9% were bullying victims and 16.2% were perpetrators. Factors associated with victimization included having family financial strain, developmental delay or intellectual disability, friendship difficulties, and school reports about problems. Factors linked to perpetration included being male, receiving government assistance, lack of school engagement, school reports about problems, and having difficulties with friendships, staying calm, and arguing. CONCLUSIONS: Children with ADHD frequently were bullying victims and sometimes bullying perpetrators. Factors related to family financial strain, developmental disabilities, emotional regulation, peer relationships, and school functioning may help to identify risk for bullying and opportunities for anti-bullying interventions.

Pre-Existing Comorbid Emotional Symptoms Moderate Short-Term Methylphenidate Adverse Effects in a Randomized Trial of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Objective: We sought to ascertain whether baseline anxiety/depression and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms impacted the experience of short-term methylphenidate (MPH) adverse effects (AEs) in 7- to 11-year-old children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 171) undergoing a double-blind MPH crossover trial. Method: The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale measured baseline child anxiety/depression and ODD symptomology. The parent-completed Pittsburgh Side Effect Rating Scale assessed the AEs of anxiety, sadness, and irritability at baseline, on placebo, and on three MPH dosages. For each AE, we evaluated comorbidity main effects, dose main effects, and comorbidity × dose interactions. Results: Baseline anxiety/depression × dose and ODD × dose interactions were significant for the AEs of anxiety, sadness, and irritability. Compared with premedication baseline, these AEs attenuated on MPH for children with initially higher comorbidity symptoms, whereas those with initially lower comorbidity symptoms tended toward no change or increasing AE levels. Conclusion: Premedication anxiety/depressive and ODD symptoms may be important predictors of short-term MPH emotional AEs.