Treatment of ADHD with amphetamine: short-term effects on family interaction.

Objective: This research seeks to study the impact on family function after 3 months of treatment with amphetamine.

Method: A total of 43 children, 6 to 11 years of age, with ADHD were treated with amphetamine for 3 months. Family function was studied before and after treatment by parent self-rating and independent observer ratings of videotaped parent-child interactions.

Results: The families with a child with ADHD were found to be more dysfunctional than control families. Families with children with severe ADHD behavior showed evidence of more family dysfunction compared to families with children with less severe ADHD behavior. After 3 months of treatment with amphetamine, the children's behavior and the mother's well-being and some aspects of parent-reported and observer-rated family functioning improved.

Conclusion: This study gives support to the notion that some aspects of family dysfunction may be related to the child's ADHD behavior.