Impact of Maternal and Child Race on Maternal Ratings of ADHD Symptoms in Black and White Boys

Abstract

Maternal race appears to be more important than child race in accounting for differences in ADHD symptom ratings between Black and White boys. It is critical to understand variables related to these differences and develop assessment measures that lead to equivalent, accurate diagnostic decisions across racial subgroups.

Assessing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-related impairment: Differential item functioning based on child demographic characteristics.

“…The findings are consistent with studies showing that parents of Black children are highly concerned about their children's safety (Dow, 2016), often manifesting in a lower tolerance for disruptive behavior. Similarly, Black mothers have been shown to rate their children higher for ADHD symptoms than White mothers (Barrett & DuPaul, 2018), and Black parents experiencing more racial discrimination rate the ADHD behavior of their male children higher than those encountering lower levels of discrimination (Kang & Harvey, 2020). As the parents of White children may be less concerned about safety issues, they may focus more on their children's self-esteem.…”

“…Third, this study did not account for demographic characteristics of the informants. Given research indicating variations in ratings of ADHD symptoms based on informant gender (Anastopoulos et al, 2018) and race (Barrett & DuPaul, 2018), it is important to examine the potential contribution of informant characteristics on ratings of ADHD-related impairment. Fourth, although the assessment of ADHD-specific impairment is aligned with current diagnostic criteria for ADHD, the findings might differ if impairment were assessed using rating scales without identifying the source, which is a common approach in the assessment of ADHD.…”

Evidence-Based Assessment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

“…W. Wong & Landes, 2022), or reversed effects (i.e., higher rates in White versus Black adolescents; Shi et al, 2021). Reasons for any differences also remain unclear; it has been proposed that ADHD may be underdiagnosed in Black children (Coker et al, 2016), despite Black mothers tending to rate children as higher on ADHD symptoms compared with White mothers (Barrett & DuPaul, 2018). One review has also suggested that Black children tend to exhibit more ADHD symptoms than White children but are diagnosed less often, possibly related to parental effects and accessibility of treatment (Miller et al, 2009).…”