(PS1-C61) Examining Conflict Level and Parental Monitoring in Teens with ADHD Who Are at Risk for Substance Use Disorder

Conflict between parents and adolescents is a common and important theme in the development of youth. ADHD-related impairments in adolescents can cause more frequent and elevated conflict levels with their parents, this was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Negative correlations have been found between levels of parental monitoring and risk-taking behaviors in teens with ADHD. Parents may reduce their monitoring efforts if they feel that it is increasing conflict levels. The purpose of this study was to examine whether changes in parent-teen conflict over time impact parental monitoring. We expect that increased parental monitoring will result in decreased conflict levels.
 

This study is part of a larger project which analyzed the effects of a Brief Early Intervention (BEI) on 245 teens with ADHD that were at risk for substance use disorder. Participants were required to meet the following inclusion criteria: be between the age of 12 and 18, DSM-V ADHD diagnosis, IQ above 79, have an elevated risk for the development of substance use disorder, and have data at both baseline and six-month follow up. Participating adolescents were asked to complete The Conflict Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), Parental Monitoring Scale (PMS), and Child Disclosure Scale (CDS) at both time points.
 

159 participants were identified that met inclusion criteria. Across all participants the independent variable was manipulated by the researcher and eligible outcomes were identified. Preliminary results with a portion of the final sample of bivariate correlations indicate a positive significant correlation between parental knowledge and conflict level at both time points. No significant correlation was reported between conflict level, parental monitoring, and teen disclosure. Results of a linear regression indicate that the strongest predictor of parent-teen conflict at follow-up was parent-teen conflict at baseline (B = .721, SE = .069, p = .000).
 

Changes in parental knowledge between baseline and follow-up was not significantly associated with conflict at follow-up; however, there was a non-significant trend suggesting that increases in teen-report of parental knowledge over time are associated with increases in teen report of parent-teen conflict (B = .030, SE = .058, p = .610). This could be an indication that parents are more likely to increase their monitoring efforts as teens get into trouble or engage in risky behavior with more frequency.