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Family Functioning and Parental Bonding During Childhood in Adults Diagnosed With ADHD

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Journal of Attention Disorders: A Journal of Theoretical and Applied Science

Published online on

Abstract

Objective: This work assesses family functioning, parental bonding, and the relationship between the two in adults diagnosed with ADHD. Method: The study used a retrospective, ex post facto design and consisted of 100 adult participants, who were distributed into two groups: with and without diagnosis of ADHD. Two family assessment instruments were applied: the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale short spanish version (FACES-20esp)) and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). The diagnosis of ADHD was done by using a semistructured interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) criteria (Conners’ Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV [CAADID]). Results: The results showed that higher rigidity and lower emotional connection were significantly associated with ADHD family functioning. Regarding parental bonding, the results showed significant differences only in the care dimension, with the ADHD group reporting lower care than the control group. Conclusion: The results suggest that ADHD families present dysfunctional family functioning with a rigid, separated typology, and parental bonding based on control without affection.