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Insecure maternal attachment is associated with depression in ADHD children

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ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the possible association between maternal attachment style and comorbidity associated with childhood ADHD. We evaluated a total of 103 children with ADHD treated at a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre and their mothers. Comorbidity was evaluated using the MINI-KID interview. Maternal attachment was evaluated using the Adult Attachment Questionnaire. We considered child variables that could be associated with the clinical course of ADHD, such as symptom severity, age, gender, evolution time, academic level, and current pharmacological treatment; parental variables, such as the mother’s psychiatric history, current psychopathology, marital status, academic level, income, and employment, were also considered. We found an association between maternal insecure attachment and comorbid depressive disorder in childhood ADHD. An insecure maternal attachment style must be considered in the assessment and treatment of childhood ADHD with comorbid depression.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all of the children and mothers who participated in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain

    F. López Seco, P. Mundo-Cid, J. Aguado-Gracia, A.M. Gaviria-Gómez, S. Acosta-García , S. Martí-Serrano, E. Vilella & A. Masana-Marín

  2. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain

    F. López Seco, A.M. Gaviria-Gómez, E. Vilella & A. Masana-Marín

  3. Centre de Salut Mental Infantil i Juvenil de Reus, Institut Pere Mata, C/Camí de Riudoms 11, 43201, Reus, Spain

    F. López Seco

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  1. F. López Seco
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  2. P. Mundo-Cid
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  3. J. Aguado-Gracia
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  5. S. Acosta-García
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  6. S. Martí-Serrano
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  7. E. Vilella
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  8. A. Masana-Marín
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Correspondence to F. López Seco.

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All families and all children over 12 years of age signed an informed consent form that was specifically designed for the current study.

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López Seco, F., Mundo-Cid, P., Aguado-Gracia, J. et al. Insecure maternal attachment is associated with depression in ADHD children. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord 8, 189–196 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-016-0197-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-016-0197-2

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