A case-control study on family environment related factors in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with anxiety disorder

Abstract

To study the family rearing pattern of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with or without anxiety disorder and to explore its risk factors. 9495 children and their parents were sampled at random in Hunan province, using two-stage investigation. Those who were diagnosed ADHD and the normal control filled out Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran and family adaptability and cohesion scale by themselves. The comparison of factors as: actual family cohesion, parents' punishments, rejection, mother's excessive protection, intervention and father's excessive protection were significantly different between ADHD with or without anxiety disorder and normal children (P < 0.05). The comparison of parents' punishments, rejection, excessive protection and intervention were obviously different between ADHD with anxiety disorder and simple ADHD (P < 0.05). Mother's rejection was the influencing factor of simple ADHD, with OR as 1.122. Ideal family cohesion, mother's rejection and father's punishments were the influencing factors of ADHD with anxiety disorder, with OR as 0.966, 1.215 and 1.089 respectively. There were some problems in the parental rearing pattern of ADHD with or without anxiety disorder. Mother's rejection, father's punishments and ideal family cohesion were suggested to be correlated with ADHD and anxiety disorder.