Patterns of behavioral adjustment and maladjustment in mental retardation: comparison of children with and without ADHD.

A variety of behavioral and emotional problems have been associated with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) in children of average intellect. In contrast, little is known about concomitant behavioral and emotional problems in children with ADHD and mental retardation. In this study, we used the Personality Inventory for Children-Revised to assess the behavioral adjustment of 48 children with mental retardation and ADHD compared to that of 47 children with mental retardation without ADHD. The ADHD group had significantly more symptoms of depression, family conflict, noncompliance, anxiety, hyperactivity, inadequate social skills, and academic problems. Results are strongly suggestive of significant behavioral and emotional problems in children with ADHD and mental retardation, thus mirroring the pattern associated with ADHD in the general school-age population.