Loneliness in Young People with ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Many studies focus on problematic peer functioning in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but loneliness has been studied less. This paper examined (1) The loneliness level differences between young people (below 25 years old) with ADHD and those without ADHD, and (2) The association between loneliness and mental health difficulties in young people with ADHD. Six electronic databases were searched and 20 studies were included. A random effects meta-analysis was carried out in RStudio using the metafor package for the first question, while a narrative synthesis summarized the findings for the second question. The meta-analysis ( n = 15) found that young people with ADHD reported significantly higher loneliness than those without ADHD, with a small-to-medium weighted pool effect (Hedges’ g = 0.41) and high heterogeneity ( I2 = 75.1%). For the second question ( n = 8), associations between loneliness and mental health difficulties in ADHD was found ( r = 0.05–0.68). Targeted research and interventions on loneliness in young people with ADHD is needed.