The mediating role of parent stress in the relationship between children’s emotion dysregulation and ADHD risk: a pilot study

Despite the well-known link between earlier children's emotional dysregulation and their high risk of developing later ADHD symptoms, few studies investigated the relationships between positive and negative emotion dysregulation, on the one hand, and ADHD symptoms, on the other one, via parent stress. This pilot study aimed to investigate the mediating role of parental stress on the relationship between children's positive and negative emotion dysregulation and ADHD risk indices. A sample of 62 children (Female = 38.2%; M = 65.90 months; SD = 3.8) was rated by one of their parents (i.e., mothers), using the subscales of the Italian Temperament Questionnaire (QUIT; i.e., positive and negative emotionality) and the subscales of Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised (CPRS; i.e., hyperactivity and inattentions deficit). Furthermore, parents reported their stress levels by completing the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) self-report. Findings show the mediating role of parental stress on the relationship between negative emotion dysregulation and both measures of ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention deficit).Child's negative emotion dysregulation and ADHD symptoms are connected.Parent stress mediates the relationships between children's negative emotion dysregulation and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms.Parent stress mediates the relationships between children's negative emotion dysregulation and inattention deficit.