ADHD, Aggression, and Dysfunctional Discipline: Mediating Roles of Maternal Emotion Dysregulation and Stress

• In Event: Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

In this study, we examined the contributions of maternal attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms, as well as adolescent ADHD symptoms and aggressive behaviors, to the prediction of mothers’ dysfunctional discipline. Of primary interest was whether associations between maternal and adolescent disruptive behaviors and parenting were direct, or indirect and mediated by maternal emotional dysregulation and parenting stress.
Parents who experience ADHD with or without frequently comorbid ODD often struggle to provide appropriate discipline (Miller et al., 2017; Park et al., 2017). The processes by which such disruptive behavior problems among parents come to affect parents’ disciplinary practices have not been fully explicated. However, it is likely that mothers with ADHD and ODD experience dysregulated emotion (Banks et al., 2008) and heightened stress in the parenting role; in turn, emotional dysregulation and parenting stress are likely to be proximal predictors of dysfunctional discipline. We examined these potential indirect pathways in a mediation model. Given the heritability of ADHD (Minde et al., 2003), we also considered adolescent ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, when family members have ADHD, mutually coercive interactions which engender child aggression are more likely to occur (Johnston & Jassy, 2007). Thus, adolescent aggression was also considered, and the potential indirect pathways between adolescent ADHD and aggression and dysfunctional discipline, via maternal emotional dysregulation and stress, were examined.
Two-hundred forty-one mothers and adolescents (adolescent M age = 15.69 years, SD age = 1.20, 45.2% male) were recruited from the community and completed questionnaires. The majority of mothers were Caucasian (84.6%) and married (78.4%). In the present analyses, only mother reports were utilized. Mothers (M age = 45.12 years, SD age = 5.85) reported their own ADHD and ODD symptoms, emotional dysregulation, parenting stress, and dysfunctional discipline (e.g., hostile, overreactive). Mothers also provided ratings of adolescent ADHD symptoms and aggressive behaviors. Analyses were conducted in R.
All variables were significantly correlated at p < .01. Our first model specified all IVs predicting the presumed mediators, which then predicted dysfunctional discipline. No direct effects were significant once the IVs were regressed on the mediators. Non-significant paths were removed, and a final model was specified (RMSEA = .014; χ2 (8, n = 241) = 8.69, p = .65). As depicted, maternal ADHD and ODD predicted maternal emotional dysregulation, which in turn predicted dysfunctional discipline. Adolescent ADHD and aggression predicted parenting stress, which in turn predicted dysfunctional discipline.
Model testing supported a mediational effect. Mother and adolescent disruptive behaviors were associated with greater dysfunctional discipline, via two indirect pathways involving maternal emotional dysregulation and perceived parenting stress. Maternal ADHD and ODD were associated with emotional dysregulation as expected but not with parenting stress. ADHD and ODD symptoms reflect disrupted internal processes of control (Adler & Silverstein, 2018) which perhaps are more closely related to mothers’ emotional dysregulation than to their perceived stress in the parent role. Perhaps not surprisingly, adolescent disruptive behaviors were not associated with mothers’ broader emotion regulation, but were associated with mothers feeling stressed in everyday disciplinary situations.

Authors

• Natalie Ehret, University of Notre Dame
  Presenting Author

• Dawn M. Gondoli, University of Notre Dame
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kathryn J Ralph, University of Notre Dame
  Non-Presenting Author

• Monica C. Perez, University of Notre Dame
  Non-Presenting Author

• Bradley S Gibson, University of Notre Dame
  Non-Presenting Author