June 17, 2024Emotional dysregulation (ED) and maladaptive personality traits may cause relatively high functional impairment among college students with ADHD and warrant consideration during clinical assessments, suggests a new study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.1The study analyzed survey data collected from 2020 to 2023 on symptom severity, ED, and emotional instability among 1,858 college students across eight universities in the United States.
Among subjects with self-reported ADHD symptoms, three profiles with distinct emotional dysregulation dimensions, impairments, and personality traits emerged:The Primarily Inattentive Profile reported the highest level ofParticipants who fit this profile also reported the lowest levels of emotional stability and limited access to emotional regulation strategies.The Moderate ADHD Severity profile reported the lowest levels of ADHD impairment and internalizing problems compared to the other ADHD profiles.The High ADHD Severity profile reported the highest levels of risk-taking behaviors.