On the relationship between personality traits of parents and type of the behavioral disorders of children

Family is an intractful environment. Family members characteristics, specially parents’ personality traits can affect children's behavior. This study was conducted to clarify different dimensions of personality traits in parents of children and adolescents suffering from behavioral disorders and assess its relationship with type of the disorder. In this descriptive-analytical study, 200 children aged 5 to 15 referring to psychiatric outpatient clinics in Isfahan city, center of Iran in 2009, were selected by available sampling method and their behavioral disorder was diagnosed by a psychiatrist. Long form of NEO-PI-R questionnaire was full filed by parents. Then data were analyzed using independent t, ANOVA and ANCOVA tests. Children’s anxiety disorder was related with parent’s angry-hostility, actions, achievement striving, restraint, deliberation traits and total score; children’s mood disorder was related with parent’s altruism, order, achievement striving and deliberation traits; children’s excretion disorder was related with parent’s restraint trait; children’s Disorganized Behavioral Disorder was related with parent’s positive emotions, fantasy, feelings, achievement striving traits and total score; and children’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was related with parent’s depression and trust traits (P<0.05). Considering the psychopathologic relationship between parent's personality traits and children's behavior, it seems that there must be something noticeable more than just a linear correlation between variables. So traits are important because they would be used to control and predict one's behaviors. So it is recommended to make a comprehensive protocol for determining and adopting intervention approaches.