ADHD symptoms, stress, and resilience in college students
Abstract
Prior research has suggested that as the number of ADHD symptoms increase, there is also an increase in stress that the individual experiences. Prior research has also claimed that individuals with high levels of ADHD symptoms may be less resilient than others. Few prior studies have investigated the interrelationships among ADHD symptoms, stress, and resilience. The current research aimed to determine whether the number of ADHD symptoms predict stress levels and whether resilience mediates this relationship. As prior research has observed sex differences in ADHD symptoms and resilience, the present research also examined whether sex moderated the mediation. In a survey, we assessed ADHD symptoms, perceived stress, and resilience for 558 college students (175 males, 383 females). The results indicated that each of the four subcomponents of resilience (social skills, social support, goal efficacy, planning and prioritizing behaviors) mediated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and stress. There was no evidence that these relationships differed for men and women, as analyses testing whether participants sex moderated these mediation relationships revealed no significant results. These results add insight into individual differences in the experience of stress in college students. Implications for increasing resilience in college students and lowering stress for college students are discussed.
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- OSU Theses [15752]