The Correlation among Maternal Object Relation, Personality and Symptoms of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Yu, Sangmin; Kim, Bongseog

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to examine the relationships among maternal object relations, personality, and symptoms of children with ADHD.
METHODS
The study's participants were 72 children with ADHD and their mothers. We used the Bell Object Relation Inventory (BORI), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and Korean Personality Inventory for Children (KPI-C) to assess each child's maternal object relations, personality, and symptoms.
RESULTS
The T scores of the pathologic group (PG) were higher than those of the normal group (NG) on the MMPI's D, Pa, Sc, Ma, and Si scales. The PG also had higher T scores than did the NG in delinquency, hyperactivity, family interaction, and autism on the KPI-C. Alienation in the PG was positively associated with hyperactivity and family interaction. The PG's egocentricity was positively associated with hyperactivity, family interaction, and autism. However, the NG was not associated with KPI-C. Per a stepwise multiple regression analysis, alienation was the most potent variable for hyperactivity, and egocentricity was the most critical variable for family interaction.
CONCLUSION
These results show that the PG had a greater possibility of having personality problems than did the NG. In particular, alienation and egocentricity with regard to maternal object relations were the most decisive variables in children's symptoms.