Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to receive negative parenting—such as lack of warmth or responsiveness to developmental needs, and greater hostility, abuse, or family conflict—than children without the disorder, according to a report in the Journal of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Why It’s Relevant
“Parenting factors are associated with a wide range of youth outcomes,” the researchers wrote. “Practices such as providing consistency, clear structure, and warmth have been theorized to promote the psychological well-being of youth with ADHD, whereas practices such as hostility may hinder the development of adaptive strategies.”
By the Numbers
- The researchers analyzed data from 62 studies comparing 14 parenting “factors” or styles for 6,543 children age 18 or younger with ADHD and 6,552 children in the same age range without the disorder.
- Parenting factors included positive ones such as “authoritative parenting,” defined as parents’ responsiveness to their children’s developmental needs while setting rules and explaining the reasoning behind these rules, and “warmth,” defined as a sense of positive regard expressed by the parent, pleasant interactions, or parental involvement in the child’s activities. Negative parenting factors included abuse, hostility, and family conflict.
- Children with ADHD showed significantly lower levels of positive parenting and higher levels of negative parenting than controls. There were group differences across all 14 parenting factors, but the strongest effects were found for authoritative parenting, warmth, abuse, family conflict, and hostility.
The Other Side
The researchers cautioned that “the evidence for some parenting factors is limited and should be interpreted as preliminary until confirmed by further high-quality research.”
Takeaway Message
Parenting practices are modifiable and “targeted parental interventions that support parents in developing specific parenting practices could be especially helpful tools to alleviate child ADHD symptoms,” the researchers wrote. “Understanding parenting differences may inform the design of personalized interventions aimed at supporting families and improving outcomes for children with ADHD.”
Related Information
Source
Tudor Văidean et. al. Meta-analysis: parenting children and adolescents with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder compared to healthy controls. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published December 30, 2025. doi: doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2025.12.016
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Jacob Wackerhausen)
