ADHD Symptomatology and Its Relationship to Factors Associated With College Adjustment

Abstract

Objective: The present study assessed the relationship between self-reported ADHD symptomatology in college students and various factors that are associated with persistence in college. Method: A total of 321 students completed questionnaires examining ADHD symptoms, academic and social adjustment to college, career decision-making self-efficacy, study skills, and GPA. Results: Analyses indicated that higher levels of ADHD symptoms were significantly related to lower levels of career decision-making self-efficacy, academic adjustment, study skills, and GPA. Regression analyses revealed that only the inattentive cluster of symptoms was a significant predictor of career decision-making self-efficacy, study skills, and academic adjustment. Conclusion: These results suggest that the inattentive symptoms of ADHD may have a particularly negative effect on success in college. (J. of Att. Dis. 2008; xx(x) xxx-xxx)Keywords: ADHD; inattention; college; adjustment A lthough ADHD was once believed to affect only children, recent research has indicated that the symptoms of ADHD persist past childhood and adolescence well into college age and beyond. This can cause a variety of problems in numerous domains, including school, work, and home. Those with ADHD who attend college may have a more difficult time dealing with the academic, social, and career-planning demands. This may lead to lower rates of college success and higher rates of dropping out. This study looks at how ADHD symptoms are related to different facets of college adjustment and competence among young adults. ADHD Symptoms in Adolescence and AdulthoodAlthough there is a wealth of research available on childhood ADHD, less is known about its carryover into adulthood, particularly among those of college age. It is estimated that one half to two thirds of children who are diagnosed with ADHD continue to show symptoms into adolescence and adulthood (Resnick, 2005), although persistence rates vary by the definition of ADHD that is used. In their evaluation of 19-year-old boys diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, Biederman, Mick, and Faraone (2000) reported that although 60% no longer met full diagnostic criteria, 90% continued to struggle with significant, but subthreshold, levels of ADHD symptoms. Furthermore, they noted that symptoms of inattention were less likely to decline than were symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity.The actual number of college students with ADHD is unknown, and much of the research on the prevalence of ADHD among college students relies on students' self reports of symptoms. For example, Weyandt, Linterman, and Rice (1995) administered the Adult Rating Scale, a self-report scale used to measure the level of ADHD symptoms in adults, and also the Wender Utah Rating Scale, a retrospective survey of childhood ADHD, to a sample of 770 college students. They found that 7% reported significant symptoms on the Adult Rating Scale, 8.7% reported significant symptoms on the Wender Utah Rating Scale, and 2.5% reported symptoms Journal of Attention D...

The effects of distraction and a brief intervention on auditory and visual-spatial working memory in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…Although ADHD must first manifest in childhood to warrant diagnosis, numerous longitudinal research studies have shown that the symptoms of this disorder rmay continue into adulthood (Barkley, 1998;Shekim, Asarnow, Hess, Zaucha, & Wheeler, 1990). ADHD affects 2% and 11% of the college student population (DuPaul, Weyandt, O'Dell, & Varejao, 2009;Weyandt & DuPaul, 2008), and college students who are diagnosed with ADHD are at increased risk of being placed on academic probation, having a lower grade point average, experiencing more academic problems, and failing repeatedly than are students without this disorder (Blasé et al, 2009;Heiligenstein, Guenther, Levy, Savino, & Fulwiler, 1999;Norvilitis, Sun, & Zhang, 2010;Norwalk, Norvilitis, & MacLean, 2009). Despite these potential academic difficulties, young adults with ADHD are enrolling in postsecondary education in increasing numbers (Dipeolu, 2011;DuPaul et al, 2009;Weyandt & DuPaul, 2008), and all higher education institutions are mandated by federal law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 1977) to provide services and accommodations to ensure success in the academic and career pursuits of these students.…”

Análise do uso de metilfenidato por vestibulandos e graduandos de medicina em uma cidade do estado de São Paulo

“…São poucos os pacientes que têm que interromper o uso por manifestação de efeitos colaterais, como insônia, diminuição do apetite, irritabilidade, perda de peso, dores abdominais e/ou cefaleias [4][5][6] . No meio universitário, ainda não há um consenso sobre a prevalência de TDAH, porém foi visto nos EUA que os universitários com níveis clinicamente significativos de sintomas desse transtorno estão claramente associados a prejuízos no desempenho acadêmico, uso de álcool, tabaco e outras substâncias ilícitas 7 .…”

College Adjustment as a Mediator Between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Work Self-Efficacy

“…In sharp contrast, college students with ADHD symptoms are more likely to have negative beliefs about their performance (Shifrin, Proctor, & Prevatt, 2010) and experience high levels of anxiety when taking cognitive tests (Prevatt, Dehili, Taylor, & Marshall, 2015), even when they perform comparably to other students (Lewandowski, Gathje, Lovett, & Gordon, 2012). The inattentive symptoms of ADHD seem to be particularly associated with an undermined confidence in work and career planning and performance, possibly because these symptoms imply more accentuated executive functioning deficits than hyperactivity alone (Norwalk et al, 2009).…”

“…With regard to the relationship with the university, students with ADHD symptoms tend to feel less attached and affiliated to their educational institutions (Shaw-Zirt et al, 2005), and they are more likely to engage in antisocial behavior (Gudjonsson, Sigurdsson, Adalsteinsson, & Young, 2013) and experience drinkingrelated problems (Mesman, 2015). Internal correlates of ADHD symptoms among college students include low selfesteem and emotional instability (Blase et al, 2009;ShawZirt et al, 2005), procrastination (Souza et al, 2008), and depression (Norwalk, Norvilitis, & MacLean, 2009).…”

“…We hypothesized that college adjustment mediates the negative linear relationship between ADHD symptoms and work self-efficacy. Specifically, ADHD symptoms should be negatively related to domains of college adjustment (Advokat et al, 2011;Norwalk et al, 2009;Shaw-Zirt et al, 2005), and domains of college adjustment should be positively associated with work self-efficacy (Bardagi & Boff, 2010;Ourique & Teixeira, 2012). However, ADHD symptoms should be unrelated to work self-efficacy when taking college adjustment into account.…”