Association of temperament and character traits with ADHD and its comorbidities

Abstract

Background

Increasing evidence suggests that personality traits may be associated with ADHD and comorbid concerns. We investigated temperament and character traits associated with internalizing and externalizing comorbidities in adolescents with or without ADHD.

Methods

The population consisted of a subsample (n = 457) of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC1986) that comprised 16-year-old adolescents with and without symptoms of ADHD. ADHD and psychiatric comorbidities were assessed using the Kiddie-SADS-PL and temperament and character profiles were determined with TCI-125. Outcomes were examined using Pearson’s chi-square test, Analyses of Covariance and Cohen’s d.

Results

The adolescents with ADHD endorsed more novelty seeking and less persistence, self-directedness, and cooperativeness than those without. Comparison of the personality traits and psychiatric comorbidities with the ADHD cases showed that comorbidities did not particularly affect the temperament and character profiles, but rather ADHD accounted for the differences between the personality traits. However, the temperament and character traits predicted externalizing and internalizing psychiatric disorders in the control group.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal unique comorbidity-related temperament factors, which may have implications for adaptive and personalizing intervention efforts.

Keywords:

• ADHD
• comorbidity
• temperament
• character

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the persons and organizations that participated in this study. The work was supported by grants from the Orion Research Foundation, the Jalmari and Rauha Ahokas Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, the Stiftelsen Alma and K. A. Snellman Foundation, the University of Oulu Scholarship Foundation, Terttu Foundation Grant Funding, the Päivikki and Sakari Solhberg Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnson Foundation, and the Foundation for Pediatric Research.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The work was supported by grants from the Orion Research Foundation, the Jalmari and Rauha Ahokas Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Emil Aaltonen Foundation, the Stiftelsen Alma and K. A. Snellman Foundation, the University of Oulu Scholarship Foundation, Terttu Foundation Grant Funding, the Päivikki and Sakari Solhberg Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Yrjö Jahnson Foundation, and the Foundation for Pediatric Research.