Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has previously been associated with less satisfaction and success in romantic relationships. This study compares conflict resolution and problem-solving behaviors in young adult romantic couples either having one partner with ADHD combined type (C-couples), having one partner identified with ADHD inattentive type (IA-couples), or in which neither partner has an ADHD diagnosis (nondiagnosed [ND] couples). Self-reports of current and childhood ADHD symptoms corroborated diagnostic status and speaker and listener behaviors, coded via the Rapid Couples Interaction Scoring System (Gottman, 1996), were the primary dependent variables. Analyses revealed greater negativity and less positivity in C-couples' behavior during a conflict resolution task, relative to IA and ND couples, and this corresponded with couples' relational satisfaction. IA-couples emitted relational behavior that was largely similar to ND couples. Findings support that relational impairment exists in C-couples, and to some degree, contrast with previous research suggesting that individuals with predominant inattention experience greater social impairment in adulthood than those with other types of ADHD.

Etiological investigations of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behavior problems support multiple causal pathways, including involvement of pre- and perinatal risk factors. Because these risks occur early in life, well before observable ADHD and externalizing symptoms emerge, the relation between risk and symptoms may be mediated by neurodevelopmental effects that manifest later in neuropsychological functioning. However, potential dissociable effects of pre/perinatal risk elements on ADHD and familial confounds must also be considered to test alternative hypotheses. 498 youth aged 6–17 years (55.0% male) completed a multi-stage, multi-informant assessment including parent and teacher symptom reports and parent ratings of pre/perinatal health risk indicators. Youth completed a neuropsychological testing battery. Multiple mediation models examined direct effects of pre- and perinatal health risk on ADHD and other disruptive behavior disorder symptoms and indirect effects via neuropsychological functioning. Parental ADHD symptoms and externalizing status was covaried to control for potential familial effects. Effects of prenatal substance exposure on inattention were mediated by memory span and temporal processing deficits. Further, effects of perinatal health risk on inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and ODD were mediated by deficits in response variability and temporal processing. Further, maternal health risks during pregnancy appeared to exert direct rather than indirect effects on outcomes. Results suggest that after controlling for familial relatedness of ADHD between parent and child, early developmental health risks may influence ADHD via effects on neuropsychological processes underpinning the disorder.

Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heritable neurodevelopmental condition, there is also considerable scientific and public interest in environmental modulators of its etiology. Exposure to neurotoxins is one potential source of perturbation of neural, and hence psychological, development. Exposure to lead in particular has been widely investigated and is correlated with neurodevelopmental outcomes, including ADHD. To investigate whether this effect is likely to be causal, we used a Mendelian randomization design with a functional gene variant. In a case-control study, we examined the association between ADHD symptoms in children and blood lead level as moderated by variants in the hemochromatosis (HFE) gene. The HFE gene regulates iron uptake and secondarily modulates lead metabolism. Statistical moderation was observed: The magnitude of the association of blood lead with symptoms of ADHD was altered by functional HFE genotype, which is consistent with a causal hypothesis.

Low birth weight (LBW) has consistently been associated with childhood attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and a similar association has been found for childhood externalizing disorders, such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), albeit to a lesser degree. Although the association between LBW and these disorders has been robustly replicated, few studies have adequately controlled for confounding variables, such as parental age at birth and prenatal tobacco use, examined the specificity of the risk of LBW for ADHD symptoms, or investigated potential nonlinear (i.e., quadratic) effects of birth weight. Additionally, the extent to which LBW confers risk for these disorders depending on childhood sex has rarely been examined. The current study examined associations between birth weight and ADHD, ODD, and CD symptom dimensions as well as the extent to which such associations are moderated by child sex, while also controlling for confounding variables. Significant interactions between sex and birth weight emerged across all analyses predicting ADHD and externalizing psychopathology, such that associations were stronger in males relative to females. Results remained when controlling for a number of confounds, including parental age, prenatal tobacco use, comorbid psychopathology, as well as other indicators of maternal and child health during the pre- and perinatal period. Both linear and quadratic associations emerged between birth weight and both hyperactivity and CD symptoms, whereas birth weight predicted inattention and ODD symptoms in a linear fashion. Future research should continue to investigate the impact of birth weight on ADHD and externalizing psychopathology, in particular the biological mechanisms underlying this association.

Purpose Depression during pregnancy is highly prevalent and is associated with increased risk of a variety of negative psychological and medical outcomes in both mothers and offspring. Antenatal depression often co-occurs with significant anxiety, potentially exacerbating morbidities for women and their children. However, screening during the antenatal period is frequently limited to assessment of depression, so that other significant co-morbid disorders may be missed. Follow-up assessment by clinicians has similarly focused primarily on detection of depressive symptoms. Anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among others, often go undetected in perinatal care settings, even when depression is identified. Failing to recognize these comorbid diagnoses may lead to inadequate treatment or only partial alleviation of distress. Consequently, screening for and assessment of comorbid disorders is warranted. Method In this study, 382 pregnant women (M age = 25.8 [SD = 5.3] years, 85.0% Caucasian) receiving care at a university hospital clinic and Maternal Mental Health Care centers in eastern Iowa and who screened positive for depression on the Beck Depression Inventory completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV to assess comorbid mental health symptoms and diagnoses. Results Overall, findings demonstrate high rates of anxiety disorders among women both with and without current major depression, although depressed women reported higher rates of generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Notably, however, incidence specific symptoms were comparable across groups. Conclusions Routine screening of both anxiety and depression during pregnancy should be conducted.