ADHD Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about ADHD, including details on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, drugs, treatment, symptoms.

Social rejection and ADHD in young adults: an analogue experiment.

Paulson JF, Buermeyer C, Nelson-Gray RO

Center for Pediatric Research, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Norfolk, VA 23510, USA. paulsojf@chkd.com

Poor outcomes in ADHD may be related to problematic social functioning and consequences of social rejection. This study examines how ADHD symptom expression affects mood and social rejection. Working from findings in depression that describe maintenance through negative interpersonal interactions, the authors seek to examine this theory's applicability to poor outcomes in ADHD. In a completely randomized design, 130 participants are exposed to one of several videotape segments that include displays of ADHD, depression, and social anxiety. A normal control is also used. All abnormal videotapes are met with greater rejection than the control. Displays of ADHD elicit similar levels of rejection to those elicited by displays of depression. Additionally, ADHD elicits greater levels of hostile mood, whereas depression elicits high levels of depression and fatigue. Implications for an interpersonal theory of vulnerability in ADHD are discussed along with implications for future research, prevention, and intervention.

Published 12 July 2005 in J Atten Disord, 8(3): 127-35.
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