The results from two new Telethon Kids Institute studies on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) show an association between the condition and heightened stress levels on families and smoking during pregnancy.
One study, published in Community Mental Health Journal, used data from a community survey of 358 Western Australian families to look at the mental health of parents caring for children with ADHD, as well as the associated health issues experienced by children diagnosed and treated with ADHD.
Using this information they were then able to determine how both these factors affected family stress levels and demand on parents caring for a child with ADHD before and after treatment with medication.
Lead author Professor Desiree Silva said the results showed higher levels of mental health stresses in both the children diagnosed with ADHD and their parents, and this in turn impacted on the overall stress levels in the family home.
"Of the 358 children in the study prescribed with ADHD, 92% of them were experiencing other mental health conditions which included learning difficulties, depression, anxiety and oppositional defiant behaviour (ODB)," she said.
Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD were also experiencing high levels of mental health concerns, where over half of mums and one third of dads were diagnosed with a mental health condition.
Family stress was very high before the child with ADHD was treated with medication and significantly reduced after medication was commenced in the majority of families although to a lesser extent if their child also had autism or oppositional defiant behaviour.
In the second study, also published in Community Mental Health Journal, researchers investigated maternal smoking in pregnancy and associated mental health conditions in children with ADHD.
The study of 321 children with ADHD examined the association of the simultaneous presence of anxiety disorder, depression and ODB in the children with maternal smoking and/or alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Dr Silva said children with ADHD whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were found to have twice the incidence of Oppositional Defiant Behaviour (ODB).
As well as finding the association between smoking during pregnancy and a child with ADHD also developing ODB, the study also showed that parent mental health is independently associated with comorbid ODB, anxiety disorder and depression.