PlumX Metrics
Embed PlumX Metrics

Prediction of childhood ADHD symptoms to quality of life in young adults: Adult ADHD and anxiety/depression as mediators

Research in Developmental Disabilities, ISSN: 0891-4222, Vol: 34, Issue: 10, Page: 3168-3181
2013
  • 51
    Citations
  • 0
    Usage
  • 167
    Captures
  • 0
    Mentions
  • 0
    Social Media
Metric Options:   Counts1 Year3 Year

Metrics Details

Article Description

Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms may persist, co-occur with anxiety and depression (ANX/DEP), and influence quality of life (QoL) in later life. However, the information about whether these persistent ADHD and ANX/DEP mediate the influence of childhood ADHD on adverse QoL in adulthood is lacking. This study aimed to determine whether adult ADHD symptoms and/or ANX/DEP mediated the association between childhood ADHD and QoL. We assessed 1382 young men aged 19–30 years in Taiwan using self-administered questionnaires for retrospective recall of ADHD symptoms at ages 6–12, and assessment of current ADHD and ANX/DEP symptoms, and QoL. We conducted mediation analyses and compared the values of mediation ratio ( P M ) by adding mediators (adult ADHD and ANX/DEP), individually and simultaneously into a regression model with childhood ADHD as an independent variable and QoL as a dependent variable. Our results showed that both adult ADHD and ANX/DEP symptoms significantly mediated the association between childhood ADHD and QoL ( P M = 0.71 for ANX/DEP, P M = 0.78 for adult ADHD symptoms, and P M = 0.91 for both). The significance of negative correlations between childhood ADHD and four domains of adult QoL disappeared after adding these two mediators in the model. Our findings suggested that the strong relationship between childhood ADHD and adult life quality can be explained by the presence of persistent ADHD symptoms and co-occurring ANX/DEP. These two mediators are recommended to be included in the assessment and intervention for ADHD to offset the potential adverse life quality outcome in ADHD.

Provide Feedback

Have ideas for a new metric? Would you like to see something else here?Let us know