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Maternal Depressive Symptomatology and Parenting Behavior: Exploration of Possible Mediators

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Abstract

Possible mediators of the relation between maternal depressive symptomatology and parenting behavior were examined for 96 children with ADHD and their mothers drawn from the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA) as part of an add-on investigation conducted by two of the six MTA sites. General cognitions (i.e., maternal locus of control and self-esteem) and parenting-specific factors (i.e., maternal parenting efficacy and parenting stress) were examined as possible mediators. Findings provide initial support that maternal parenting stress, as well as maternal locus of control and self-esteem mediate the relation between maternal depressive symptomatology and parenting behavior. This provides support for the argument that some families of children with ADHD may benefit from an expanded version of parent management training that includes sessions directly targeting affective and cognitive factors in parents, similar to treatment programs used to treat childhood conduct problems.

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Notes

  1. Maternal depressive symptomatology was assessed with the BDI. Since the BDI contains a few items relevant to self-esteem, one of our mediators, a new BDI variable was created removing these items and correlations, regressions, and models were rerun with the new BDI variable. Since the pattern of results was the same, the original analyses with the complete BDI are reported.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI, 53201-1881, USA

    Alyson C. Gerdes

  2. University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA

    Betsy Hoza

  3. Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    L. Eugene Arnold

  4. State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA

    William E. Pelham

  5. University of California, Irvine, California, USA

    James M. Swanson

  6. University of California, Irvine, California, USA

    Timothy Wigal

  7. Columbia University, New York, USA

    Peter S. Jensen

Authors
  1. Alyson C. Gerdes
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  2. Betsy Hoza
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  3. L. Eugene Arnold
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  4. William E. Pelham
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  5. James M. Swanson
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  6. Timothy Wigal
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  7. Peter S. Jensen
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Correspondence to Alyson C. Gerdes.

Additional information

The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA) was a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) cooperative agreement randomized clinical trial involving six clinical sites. Collaborators from the National Institute of Mental Health: Peter S. Jensen, M.D. (currently at Columbia University), L. Eugene Arnold, M.D., M.Ed. (currently at Ohio State University), Joanne B. Severe, M.S. (Clinical Trials Operations and Biostatistics Unit, Division of Services and Intervention Research), Benedetto Vitiello, M.D. (Child & Adolescent Treatment and Preventive Interventions Research Branch), John Richters, Ph.D. (currently at National Institute of Nursing Research), Donald Vereen, M.D. (currently at National Institute on Drug Abuse). Principal investigators and co investigators from the 6 sites were: University of California, Berkeley/San Francisco: Stephen P. Hinshaw, Ph.D. (Berkeley), Glen R. Elliott, Ph.D., M.D. (San Francisco); Duke University: C. Keith Conners, Ph.D., Karen C. Wells, Ph.D., John March, M.D., M.P.H.; University of California, Irvine/Los Angeles: James Swanson, Ph.D. (Irvine), Dennis P. Cantwell, M.D., (deceased, Los Angeles), Timothy Wigal, Ph.D. (Irvine); Long Island Jewish Medical Center/Montreal Children's Hospital: Howard B. Abikoff, Ph.D. (currently at New York University School of Medicine), Lily Hechtman, M.D. (McGill University); New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University/Mount Sinai Medical Center: Laurence L. Greenhill, M.D. (Columbia), Jeffrey H. Newcorn, M.D. (Mount Sinai School of Medicine); University of Pittsburgh: William E. Pelham, Ph.D. (currently at State University of NewYork, Buffalo), Betsy Hoza, Ph.D. (currently at University of Vermont). Statistical and design consultant: Helena C. Kraemer, Ph.D. (Stanford University). Collaborator from the Office of Special Education Programs/US Department of Education: Ellen Schiller, Ph.D.

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Gerdes, A.C., Hoza, B., Arnold, L.E. et al. Maternal Depressive Symptomatology and Parenting Behavior: Exploration of Possible Mediators. J Abnorm Child Psychol 35, 705–714 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-007-9134-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-007-9134-3

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