Approximately 2-8% of college students have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which increases their risk of engaging in maladaptive behaviors that can affect health and academics. In particular, college students with ADHD are more likely to report experiencing negative effects related to alcohol use than students without ADHD even though they may consume similar levels of alcohol. ADHD symptom severity may be associated with alcohol-related negative consequences through a variety of mechanisms including inattention and impulsivity, deficits in self-regulation and depression symptoms. This study examines the relationships between ADHD symptom severity, depression symptoms, and alcohol-related negative consequences.
The study’s sample consisted of 106 college students drinkers who were diagnosed with ADHD. Participants were asked to report their average number of drinks consumed per week. Respondents also completed the scales measuring ADHD symptoms, depression symptoms, and negative consequences related to drinking. Data was analyzed through models of indirect effect using R-packages mediation and bootstrapping.
Results of the data analysis showed that the most frequently reported alcohol-related negative consequences were related to impulse (e.g. saying or doing embarrassing things, taking foolish risks, and doing impulsive things they later regretted). The effect of ADHD symptom severity on alcohol-related negative consequences and the effect of alcohol-related consequences on depression symptoms were significant. When controlling for alcohol-related negative consequences as the mediator, the significance of the relationship was reduced suggesting partial mediation of depressive symptoms. In the second model, the effect of ADHD symptom severity on depression and the effect of depression on alcohol related consequences were significant. When examining the direct effect of ADHD symptoms on alcohol-related consequences the significance of the relationship was reduced suggesting partial mediation of alcohol-related negative consequences.
Takeaway: Depression symptoms may partially account for the covariation between ADHD symptom severity and alcohol-related negative consequences among college colleges.