Longitudinal Association of Adolescent ADHD Symptoms in the Trajectory of Maternal Depression Symptoms

Maternal depression is a common mental health condition that can have adverse impacts on both mothers and their offspring. Research is growing on what factors are related to maternal depression longitudinally, specifically on transactional framings of how both maternal and child mental health symptoms may potentially impact mothers. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder, characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity with impacts across the lifespan. Research has demonstrated the effects of youth ADHD on caregiver well-being and how race and sex may have a potential influence on experiences of families of youth with ADHD. Less is known about how adolescent ADHD symptoms longitudinally relate to maternal depressive symptoms. The current study draws from a community sample of adolescents and their mothers. Children in the sample were approximately 12-year-olds (M = 12.07 years, SD = 0.90) at the start of study and 18 at the end (M = 18.05, SD = 0.96). Mothers completed a measure of their child’s ADHD symptoms at approximately age 12 and a measure of their own depressive symptoms annually over seven years. Latent growth modeling was used to examine the intercept and slope of mothers’ depression symptoms throughout their child’s adolescence. The slope of maternal depressive symptoms was flat across adolescence. ADHD symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity (but not inattention) were significantly associated with the intercept of maternal depressive symptoms, with higher levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms predicting a higher intercept of maternal depressive symptoms, but not the slope of maternal depressive symptoms, across adolescence. The results of this study highlight associations between ADHD symptoms and maternal mental health and the longevity of its effects. Future directions and clinical implications are discussed.