The Relationship Between Organization in Time, Executive Functions, and Quality of Life in Adult ADHD

Background/Objectives. Despite the importance of organization-in-time ability for adults' daily performance, knowledge about this ability in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains limited. This study aims to compare organization-in-time abilities and quality of life (QoL) in adults with ADHD versus controls and examine the association and predictive relationship between this population's organization-in-time and executive function (EF) abilities and their QoL. Methods. Participants were 69 adults with ADHD and at least one EF deficit according to the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A) and 52 matched neurotypical controls. Besides the BRIEF-A and demographic questionnaire, all participants completed the Time Organization and Participation Scale and Adult ADHD QoL questionnaire. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee, with written informed consent obtained from all participants. Results. Compared with controls, adults with ADHD demonstrated significantly poorer organization-in-time ability and QoL. Within the ADHD group, significant correlations were found between organization-in-time and EF abilities (r = -0.39 to -0.50, p < 0.01). The group (ADHD vs. control) explained 51.7% of the variance in total QoL. Beyond this, metacognitive abilities (BRIEF-A Metacognitive Index) accounted for an additional 15.1%, and organization-in-time domains contributed 10.8% of the variance in predicting total QoL. Conclusions. Identifying deficits in time-organization abilities and EFs and their association with lower QoL among adults with ADHD has empirical and clinical implications. Such identification and the development of targeted intervention programs are essential for improving QoL in this population.