Researchers in a large city in western Canada studied 29 children aged 8 to 12. Fifteen had ADHD and 14 did not. For the analysis the children were treated as one group, and ADHD symptoms were measured on a scale from low to high rather than as a yes or no diagnosis.
The study found two main links. When parents knew more about ADHD, their children reported being bullied or left out less often (correlation -0.475). When children had stronger ADHD symptoms, their parents reported more stress. This held both for trouble paying attention (correlation 0.560) and for hyperactive or impulsive behavior (correlation 0.649).
Children also reported more bullying and being left out when parents were more open to counseling (0.465) and when parents reported a lower mood or more feelings of isolation.
The authors call this a preliminary study and note it cannot show cause and effect. The sample was small and fairly similar across families. The measures relied on self-report, one questionnaire had unknown validity, and the study did not track medication, parental ADHD, or other diagnoses.
Source: Taylor L, Climie E, Yue M. The role of parental stress and knowledge of condition on incidences of bullying and ostracism among children with ADHD. Children's Health Care (2018). doi:10.1080/02739615.2018.1545580