A-39The Relationship Between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Depression in Children Is Mediated by Adaptive Skills Deficits

Objective: The comorbidity between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression has been consistently observed clinically and empirically in children. Reasoning that ADHD likely predates the onset of depression, it is important to identify modifiable intervening variables that might mitigate the severity of depression among children with ADHD. Children with ADHD also display deficits in adaptive skills. The present study hypothesized that adaptive skills would mediate the relationship between ADHD and depression. Method: The parents of a clinic-referred sample of 54 children (4-16 years old; 31% female; 82% Caucasian) completed the BASC-2 and Conners-3. Results: Results indicated adaptive skills significantly and fully mediated the relationship between ADHD inattentive symptoms and depressive symptoms (indirect effect = 0.20, SE = 0.08, p < 0.05, 95% CI = 0.07-0.39), such that the path from ADHD-inattentive to depression was no longer significant when adaptive skills were included in the model. In addition, mediation results also revealed adaptive skills significantly mediated the relationship between ADHD hyperactive/impulsive symptoms and depressive symptoms (indirect effect = 0.16, SE = 0.07, p < 0.05, 95% CI = 0.05-0.33). Notably, the relationship between hyperactive/impulsive symptoms and depression was significant within this model (indirect effect = 0.34, SE = 0.11, p < 0.05, 95% CI = 0.11-.57), suggesting other factors may also mediate this relationship in addition to adaptive skills. Moreover, analysis of the component skills of adaptive skills revealed that this mediated effect was accounted for by adaptability, not leadership skills, activities of daily living, or functional communication. Conclusion: Overall, these results reveal adaptive skills may play a role in the process by which ADHD symptoms can lead to depression in children.