A recent scientific study has shown that couples who have children suffering from ADHD (also known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are more likely to get divorced. In fact they’re almost twice as likely to split as other couples by the time the child is eight-years-old.

In addition to that, marriages where couples had children suffering from ADHD ended in divorce much sooner than marriages between couples whose children didn’t have ADHD.

William E. Pelham, Jr., Ph.D. conducted the study into the effects of children with ADHD on divorce rates.

We believe this is the first study to find that both parent and child factors individually predict the rate and time of divorce. Moreover, this is the only study to demonstrate that the severity of the child’s disruptive behaviour, specifically those with ODD or CD, increases the risk of divorce.

Certainly we are not suggesting that having a child with ADHD is the only reason these marriages end in divorce. Disruptive child behaviour likely interacts over time with other existing stress in the family to spark conflict in a marriage and, ultimately, divorce.” Wymbs’ research documents that when parents interact with an ADHD child, they are more distressed, argue with one another more and view one another as less supportive, compared to when they interact with a child without ADHD.

This shows that the stress of coping with a troubled child can lead to the breakdown of a relationship.

Clive Bellmore