Friendship Quality in Adolescents With ADHD.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Adolescent Development

Background:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) impacts social functioning in adolescents.
• Understanding friendship quality is crucial for adolescent well-being.
• Previous research has not fully explored age and gender differences in ADHD-related friendship dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the quality of same- and other-sex friendships in adolescents with and without ADHD.
• To examine the influence of age and gender on friendship quality in this population.
• To identify specific challenges in social support and negative interactions within friendships.

Main Methods:

• A community sample of 115 adolescents (ages 13-18) participated.
• Participants included 61 adolescents with ADHD and 54 typically developing controls.
• A questionnaire assessed perceived social support and negative interactions in friendships.

Main Results:

• Friendship social support decreased with age in adolescents with ADHD, unlike in controls.
• No significant differences in negative friendship interactions were found between groups.
• Females reported more supportive friendships than males, regardless of ADHD status.
• Same-sex friendships were perceived as more supportive yet more conflictual than other-sex friendships by all participants.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents with ADHD experience age-related declines in friendship social support.
• Clinical assessments for ADHD should include detailed evaluation of social functioning and friendship quality.
• Interventions may be needed to support social skills and friendship maintenance in adolescents with ADHD.