Attachment disorder and child maltreatment as problems accompanying attention- eficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behaviour
Agata Brzozowska1, Agnieszka Wzorek2

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a constant pattern of behaviour which consists of attention disorders, impulsiveness and hyperactivity significantly deteriorating the child’s functioning at home and at school. ADHD is often accompanied by other disorders, e.g. disruptive behaviour. The authors of this article present and analyse the comorbidity of both disorders and pathogenesis of specific subtypes of ADHD (subtype with predominant impulsiveness and mixed subtype) in the context of disorders in attachment and/or maltreatment of the child. According to the attachment theory, the relationship between the child and the closest carer determines the way the child will later perceive itself and other people. Attention was paid to the negative emotional interactions between the child with ADHD and its carer, which increases the risk of the occurrence of maltreatment due to the child’s hyperactivity and the carer’s individual characteristics. A physical and emotional abuse or neglect present in many families of patients with ADHD may also have transgenerational dimension and reflect multigenerational attachment disturbances. Literature emphasizes the contribution of traumatic experiences of comprehensive violence to emotional development, self-control and social relations. In some cases the relation between violence experienced in childhood and using it towards one’s own children may result from poor relations with parents and disturbances in the development of a safe attachment. The authors recommend individual approach to the therapy of the child with ADHD, taking into account the aforementioned problems of the child and its family.