Depression in mothers of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Does having a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increase the risk of depression in the child's mother? The present study was initiated to explore this issue in a primary care setting and evaluate the need for routine screening of maternal depression in mothers of children with ADHD. METHODS: The subjects were 59 biological mothers of children with ADHD. All were patients in a rural, private, office-based family practice. Each subject was given a Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). After completion, the mothers were interviewed to confirm or exclude depression by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) criteria. RESULTS: Thirty-nine of the 59 mothers returned a completed Zung SDS. No statistically significant differences were noted between the respondents and nonrespondents, nor between ADHD children of respondents and nonrespondents. Twenty-one respondents had Zung scores in the depressive ranges. By DSM-III-R criteria, 15 were subsequently found to be depressed. None of the 18 mothers with normal scores on the Zung were found to be currently depressed. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of major and minor depression in primary care outpatients is 4%-6% and 6%-14%, respectively. However, the present study reveals an incidence of 17.9% for major depression and 20.5% for minor depression in mothers of children with ADHD, suggesting that routine screening for maternal depression needs to be considered when children are diagnosed with ADHD in primary care settings.