This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Barkley, R.A. Articles by Kwasnik, D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Barkley, R.A. Articles by Kwasnik, D. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Psychological adjustment and adaptive impairments in young adults with ADHD

the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center

K. Murphy

the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center

D. Kwasnik

the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center

The present study compared a group of 25 young adults with ADHD to 23 young adults drawn from the community equated for age (Mean = 25 yrs.) and educational level (Mean 13 yrs.) using a structured psychiatric interview (non-blinded), self-report ratings of psychological distress, and psychological tests of inattention, impulsive responding, working memory, verbal fluency, sense of time, and creativity. Most measures of prior educational and occupational adjustment did not differentiate the young adults with ADHD from the control group. However, those with ADHD reported having experienced more symptoms of both ADHD and opposition al defiant disorder on their jobs as well as in college than control subjects. ADHD adults also were found to have had shorter durations of employment in their full-time jobs than adults in the control group. The young adults with ADHD rated themselves as having greater psychological distress and maladjustment on all scales of the SCL-90-R and reported committing more antisocial acts, particularly involving thefts and disorderly conduct, than the control group. As a result they had been arrested more often than young adults in the control group. The groups did not differ, however, in other types of criminal activity nor in the types and frequency of legal and illegal substances they used. On psychological testing, the ADHD group had significantly poorer response inhibition and sustained attention on a continuous performance test. They were also poorer on tasks of verbal and nonverbal working memory. No significant group differences were found, however, in accuracy of time estimations or productions, verbal fluency, or creativity. It appears that the psychiatric and psychological difficulties found in young adults with ADHD are qualitatively similar to those seen in children with the disorder.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. E. Knouse, J. T. Mitchell, L. H. Brown, P. J. Silvia, M. J. Kane, I. Myin-Germeys, and T. R. Kwapil The Expression of Adult ADHD Symptoms in Daily Life: An Application of Experience Sampling Methodology J Atten Disord, May 1, 2008; 11(6): 652 - 663. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. D. J. Marchetta, P. P. M. Hurks, L. M. J. De Sonneville, L. Krabbendam, and J. Jolles Sustained and Focused Attention Deficits in Adult ADHD J Atten Disord, May 1, 2008; 11(6): 664 - 676. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. A. Schwanz, L. J. Palm, and S. A. Brallier Attention Problems and Hyperactivity as Predictors of College Grade Point Average J Atten Disord, November 1, 2007; 11(3): 368 - 373. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. Sigi Hale, S. Bookheimer, J. J. McGough, J. M. Phillips, and J. T. McCracken Atypical Brain Activation During Simple & Complex Levels of Processing in Adult ADHD: An fMRI Study J Atten Disord, September 1, 2007; 11(2): 125 - 139. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Goldstein Editorial: Introduction to the Special Section J Atten Disord, February 1, 2007; 10(3): 251 - 252. [PDF]

				K. A. Belendiuk, T. L. Clarke, A. M. Chronis, and V. L. Raggi Assessing the Concordance of Measures Used to Diagnose Adult ADHD J Atten Disord, February 1, 2007; 10(3): 276 - 287. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. L. Rostain and J. R. Ramsay A Combined Treatment Approach for Adults With ADHD--Results of an Open Study of 43 Patients. J Atten Disord, November 1, 2006; 10(2): 150 - 159. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. E. Knouse, M. J. Paradise, and J. Dunlosky Does ADHD in adults affect the relative accuracy of metamemory judgments? J Atten Disord, November 1, 2006; 10(2): 160 - 170. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B. Shaw-Zirt, L. Popali-Lehane, W. Chaplin, and A. Bergman Adjustment, Social Skills, and Self-Esteem in College Students With Symptoms of ADHD J Atten Disord, February 1, 2005; 8(3): 109 - 120. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. J. McGough and R. A. Barkley Diagnostic Controversies in Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Am J Psychiatry, November 1, 2004; 161(11): 1948 - 1956. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Eakin, K. Minde, L. Hechtman, E. Ochs, E. Krane, R. Bouffard, B. Greenfield, and K. Looper The marital and family functioning of adults with ADHD and their spouses J Atten Disord, August 1, 2004; 8(1): 1 - 10. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. V. Faraone, T. J. Spencer, C. B. Montano, and J. Biederman Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults: A Survey of Current Practice in Psychiatry and Primary Care Arch Intern Med, June 14, 2004; 164(11): 1221 - 1226. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Harvey, J. S. Danforth, T. E. McKee, W. R. Ulaszek, and J. L. Friedman Parenting of children with Attention-Defecit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): The role of parental ADHD symptomatology J Atten Disord, September 1, 2003; 7(1): 31 - 42. [Abstract] [PDF]

				W. H. Canu and G. L. Carlson Differences in heterosocial behavior and outcomes of ADHD-symptomatic subtypes in a college sample J Atten Disord, April 1, 2003; 6(3): 123 - 133. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T.L. Richards, J.L. Deffenbacher, and L.A. Rosen Driving anger and other driving-related behaviors in high and low ADHD symptom college students J Atten Disord, January 1, 2002; 6(1): 25 - 38. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. A. RICCIO and C. R. REYNOLDS Continuous Performance Tests Are Sensitive to ADHD in Adults but Lack Specificity: A Review and Critique for Differential Diagnosis Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., June 1, 2001; 931(1): 113 - 139. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. B. Schweitzer, T. L. Faber, S. T. Grafton, L. E. Tune, J. M. Hoffman, and C. D. Kilts Alterations in the Functional Anatomy of Working Memory in Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Am J Psychiatry, February 1, 2000; 157(2): 278 - 280. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				C.A. Ramirez, L.A. Rosen, J.L. Deffenbacher, H. Hurst, C. Nicoletta, T. Rosencranz, and K. Smith Anger and anger expression in adults with high ADHD symptoms J Atten Disord, July 1, 1997; 2(2): 115 - 128. [Abstract]

				K. Murphy and R.A. Barkley Prevalence of DSM-IV symptoms of ADHD in adult licensed drivers: Implications for clinical diagnosis J Atten Disord, October 1, 1996; 1(3): 147 - 161. [Abstract]