The Mediating Role of Parent-Child Relationship, Locus of Control and Academic Performance in ADHD Children's Depression

The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of environmental variables (parent-child relationship)، locus of control، and academic performance to explain the depression of the children with ADHD. After screening the fifth grade elementary school students by Conner''s teacher rating scale، throughDiagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (according to DSM-IV)، 113 children were selected as the clinical group. Behavioral management and parenting stress scales as ADHD symptoms indicators were given to mothers، and academic performance test، parent-child relationship questionnaire،locus of control and depression scale were administrated on the children. Pearson correlation coefficientsindicated positive relationships between depression with inattention dimension. There was also a significant relationship between the three mediating variables with depression and inattention dimension of ADHD. Structural equation modeling indicated the importance of parent-child relationship as a mediator variable for inattention-depression relationship. Academic achievement and locus of control couldn’t beeffective mediators in this model. Results of the current study implied the importance of parent-child relationship in ADHD children''s depression. This result should be more considered in counselingwith these children.