Is Parenting Style a Cause or Consequence of ADHD: A Critical Review

DOI

https://www.doi.org/10.59256/ijrtmr.20260603011

Published In

Volume 6, Issue 3 (2026)

Published Online

May-June 2026

Pages

87-93

Article Type

Review Article

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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects roughly 5–7% of children globally and is among the most common neurodevelopmental conditions of childhood. A persistent debate in the clinical and research literature concerns whether parenting practices cause or exacerbate ADHD, or whether the behavioural demands of raising a child with ADHD reshape parenting behaviour. This narrative critical review synthesises evidence from behavioural genetics, longitudinal cohort studies, neuroimaging, intervention trials, epigenetic research, and cross-cultural investigations to evaluate the directionality of this association. The review also examines how ADHD presentation type, child sex, socioeconomic context, and developmental stage moderate the parenting–ADHD relationship. Seventy-eight sources identified through PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar (1968–2025) were included. The evidence indicates that parenting does not cause ADHD in a primary etiological sense; the disorder has deep genetic and neurobiological roots. However, parenting quality functions as a significant moderator of symptom severity, comorbid outcomes, and functional impairment. Simultaneously, child ADHD symptoms evoke changes in parental behaviour, establishing a bidirectional transactional process. Clinical implications emphasise destigmatising parents while promoting integrated family-based interventions that combine pharmacotherapy with behavioural parent training.