Profiles of Diagnosed and Undiagnosed College Students Meeting ADHD Symptom Criteria. Issue 5 (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wood, Whitney L. M.; Lewandowski, Lawrence J.; Lovett, Benjamin J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of attention disorders. Volume 25:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 646
• Page End: 656
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: adult ADHD -- misdiagnosis -- ADHD impairment -- undergraduate college students; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Periodicals; Attention -- Periodicals; 616.8589
• DOI: 10.1177/1087054718824991
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-0547

Abstract

Objective: This study compared the psychological profiles of college students who self-reported an ADHD diagnosis in contrast to students without a diagnosis who reported above-threshold ADHD symptoms.Method: A large sample of college students yielded four subgroups: students with a self-reported diagnosis who met symptom criteria (Diagnosed, n = 40), students with a self-reported diagnosis who did not meet symptom criteria (Low Symptoms, n = 47), students who had no diagnosis and did not meet symptom criteria (Controls, n = 87), and students who had no diagnosis yet met symptom criteria (Undiagnosed, n = 38). All participants completed a battery of self-report rating scales assessing a variety of symptom and impairment domains.Results: The Diagnosed and Undiagnosed groups differed significantly from Controls on all domains, while the Low Symptom group did not differ significantly from Controls in any domain.Conclusion: Implications for engaging with reported diagnosis of ADHD in the college population are discussed.