Psychometric Evaluation of the Turkish Mind Excessively Wandering Scale in Adolescents With ADHD: Exploratory Findings on Age-Related Differences in Excessive Mind Wandering

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Mind Excessively Wandering Scale (MEWS) in adolescents and investigated age-related differences in excessive mind wandering (EMW) among adolescents with ADHD. The sample included 156 adolescents (80 with ADHD, 76 controls; mean age = 15.08 ± 1.85 years). ADHD diagnoses were established using a semi-structured clinical interview. Participants completed the MEWS, DERS-16 and S-UPPS-P. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analyses, group comparisons and regression analyses were conducted. The MEWS showed a unidimensional structure with acceptable model fit and high internal consistency (α = 0.93). EMW was significantly higher in the ADHD group than in controls. EMW was strongly associated with emotion regulation difficulties and moderately associated with impulsivity and ADHD symptoms. A significant age × group interaction was observed, indicating that the relationship between age and EMW differed across diagnostic groups. Older adolescents with ADHD tended to report higher EMW scores than younger adolescents with ADHD, whereas no comparable age-related pattern was observed in the control group. The original 12-item Turkish MEWS demonstrated good psychometric performance in the present adolescent sample. The present findings suggest that EMW may show age-related differences among adolescents with ADHD. Whether these differences reflect developmental changes across adolescence requires confirmation in longitudinal studies.