ADHD Symptoms,Resilience,and Quality of Life in Emerging Adults: The Roles of Diagnostic Status and Current Symptomatology

Abstract

Background: Research on college students with ADHD largely has focused on impairments associated with this condition, as opposed to how resilience might buffer ADHD-related challenges. The present study examined potential differences in quality of life (QoL), resilience, and sociodemographic characteristics by students’ ADHD diagnostic/symptom status and whether diagnostic/symptom group differences in QoL were more/less pronounced at different levels of resilience. Method: Using data from an online survey distributed at six US colleges/universities, participants (N = 4,897; 74% female; 60% White) reported on current ADHD symptomatology and diagnostic status; personal, social, and familial resilience; and physical, psychological, social, environmental, and global QoL. Results: Compared to students who were undiagnosed and asymptomatic or diagnosed and asymptomatic, participants who were symptomatic (diagnosed and undiagnosed) evidenced lower resilience and QoL across all domains. There were significant interactions between ADHD group and resilience for global QoL and environmental QoL. Global QoL among undiagnosed and symptomatic participants was consistently lower than the reference group (undiagnosed and asymptomatic), particularly at lower levels of resilience. For environmental QoL, the slopes for both diagnosed groups were less steep compared to the reference group, suggesting resilience was less closely associated with environmental QoL. Conclusion: Findings suggest that current ADHD symptomatology, as opposed to a formal ADHD diagnosis, is a better predictor of psychosocial impairment. Helping students with an ADHD diagnosis to continue developing resilience ultimately may benefit QoL; however, students who are currently symptomatic – particularly those who are undiagnosed – likely need additional support to experience the protective benefits of resilience.