Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 3188 - Are hyperactive-impulsive behaviors in children with ADHD signs of masked depression? |
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| Contribution code | PS01-53 (P) |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
ADHD not only affects a child’s ability to concentrate in school and academics, it impacts on their social skills too. Current literature found that children with ADHD are 8 times more likely to face depression than those without. Impulsive, trouble filtering what they say, and being demanding towards others, all these externalizing behaviors can make it hard for children with ADHD to develop meaningful friendships. With these difficulties, they are prone to feeling of loneliness and depressed. Studies have been comparing children with ADHD to their counterparts who are not diagnosed. There are limited research done to compare those with hyperactive-impulsive behaviors (combined subtype;COM) and those with only inattentiveness (inattentive subtype;IA). Therefore, this study aims to explore if a particular subtype of ADHD population displays more depressive symptoms. We hypothesize that children with hyperactive-impulsive behaviors in addition to their inattentiveness (COM) will report more depressed symptoms as compared to those without hyperactive-impulsive behaviors (IA). 172 children aged 6 to 12 years old (M= 8.63, SD= 1.51) were recruited from Child Guidance Clinic, an outpatient clinic in Singapore. These child participants were clinically diagnosed with ADHD by their attending clinicians. They also fulfilled the criteria of either the COM or IA subtype of ADHD based on Computerized Diagnostic Interview for Children (C-DISC) completed by parents. Depressed subscale from parent-reported Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) was used as the primary outcome measure. An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare depressed symptoms in children with COM and IA subtypes. There was a significant difference found in the depressed score for COM subtype (M=6.68, SD=4.273) and IA subtype (M=5.09, SD=4.058); t(161)=, p=0.18. Parents of children with COM subtype reported more depressed symptoms in their children as compared to those with IA subtype. This result suggests that individuals with externalizing problematic behaviors are more likely to feel depressed than those without. This is in line with our hypothesis. However, we are not able to infer further on whether these externalizing behaviors are a predictor of masked depression, or an outcome of the child’s depressed symptoms. Future studies could explore how depressive mood manifest in these children, and how treatment models could incorporate components to target this possible “masked” depression. |