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Anxiety in college students With ADHD: relationship to cognitive functioning
Frances Prevatt1, Vincent Dehili2, Nicki Taylor2
1Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA fprevatt@fsu.edu.
Journal of Attention Disorders
|August 30, 2012
Summary
College students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience higher anxiety, impacting cognitive function. Interventions for ADHD anxiety require a multifaceted approach, acknowledging potential benefits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is prevalent in college students.
- Anxiety often co-occurs with ADHD, potentially affecting academic performance.
- Understanding the interplay between ADHD, anxiety, and cognition is crucial for student support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of anxiety on cognitive functioning in college students diagnosed with ADHD.
- To compare anxiety levels between students with and without ADHD.
- To explore specific relationships between anxiety, ADHD symptoms, and cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 473 college students with ADHD and 200 without ADHD participated.
- Participants completed self-report measures for anxiety and ADHD symptomatology.
- Cognitive functioning was assessed using standardized tests.
Main Results:
- Students with ADHD reported significantly higher anxiety levels than controls.
- Anxiety correlated with both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in the ADHD group.
- Anxiety was more pronounced regarding academic stressors compared to general life stressors.
- A unique interaction showed that low inattention with high anxiety was linked to better cognitive performance.
- Freshmen reported higher anxiety than upper-class students; no gender differences were observed.
Conclusions:
- Anxiety in college students with ADHD presents in diverse ways, necessitating tailored interventions.
- A comprehensive, multi-focused approach is recommended for managing anxiety in this population.
- Paradoxically, anxiety may have some beneficial effects on cognitive abilities under specific conditions.
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To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
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