Slovenian Families With Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Interpersonal Relations, Parents’ Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Implications for Family Therapy

Abstract

ABSTRACT We aimed to assess interpersonal relationships within Slovenian families with a child diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (proband) as compared to control families. The current study evaluated parents’ retrospective assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in childhood in both groups and possible predictive factors for the occurrence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children. The proband parents experienced more difficulties in interpersonal relations, more often related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms during their childhood and the proband children blamed themselves for marital conflict to a greater extent. The general functioning of families and parents’ attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in their childhood are the most significant predictive factors for the occurrence of the disorder in children. These findings stressed the appropriateness of family therapy focused on interpersonal relationships in families with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder children.