Social functioning among college students diagnosed with ADHD and the mediating role of emotion regulation

ABSTRACT

Despite the many studies that have documented the association between symptoms of ADHD and social difficulties in children and adolescents, few have examined this phenomenon in college students. In addition, the underlying factors contributing to such social difficulties are still poorly understood. We hypothesised that college students with symptoms of ADHD, namely inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, would continue to display social behavioural difficulties, and that emotion regulation would play a mediating role in that relationship. Ninety-nine 17–24-year-old college students filled out three questionnaires to assess Inattentive and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Symptoms, Social Skills, and Emotion Regulation abilities. Analysis revealed that emotion regulation is a significant mediator between Inattentive Symptoms and Social Skills for female students. There was no significant correlation between ADHD symptoms and Social Skills for males. Female college students report social functioning difficulties associated with their inattentive and hyperactive symptoms, and impaired emotion regulation abilities mediate this relationship for inattentive symptoms only.

KEYWORDS:

• ADHD
• college
• emotion regulation
• social functioning
• mediation
• students

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Julia Ryan

Julia Ryan is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Julia holds a Bachelor of Science in Honors Psychology from McGill University. Her research interests include ADHD, social functioning, cognition and social cognition, event perception, and emotion regulation.

Samantha Ross

Samantha Ross received a Bachelor of Arts with Specialization in Psychology from the University of Ottawa. Her research interests include social and emotional wellbeing in the college population.

Rebecca Reyes

Rebeca Reyes is a Masters student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Rebeca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Psychology as well as a Bachelors of Commerce in Honors Management both from the University of Ottawa. Her research interests include ADHD, self-regulation, internet use, and college population mental health.

Stacey Kosmerly

Stacey Kosmerly is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. She holds a Masters in Applied Psychology from Laurentian University. Her research interests include emotion regulation, ADHD, and academic readiness.

Maria Rogers

Dr. Maria Rogers is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Rogers holds a PhD in School and Clinical-Child Psychology from the University of Toronto and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Rogers research interests include the social-emotional and academic development of youth with ADHD across the childhood and adolescent period, in addition to parent-child and teacher-child interactions.