Objective
This study examined parents’ perceptions/awareness and internalization of public courtesy stigma (affiliate stigma) about their children’s inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, and associations between parental affiliate stigma, parental negativity expressed toward the child, and child social functioning.
Method
Participants were families of 63 children (ages 6–10; 42 boys) with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), assessed in a cross-sectional design.
Results
After statistical control of children’s severity of inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms (as reported by parents and teachers), parents’ self-reports of greater affiliate stigma were associated with more observed negative parenting. The associations between high parental affiliate stigma and children’s poorer adult informant-rated social skills and greater observed aggression were partially mediated by increased parental negativity. As well, the positive association between children’s adult informant-rated aggressive behavior and parental negativity was partially mediated by parents’ increased affiliate stigma.
Conclusion
Parental affiliate stigma about their children’s inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms may have negative ramifications for parent-child interactions and children’s social functioning. Clinical implications for parent training interventions are discussed.
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