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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD) are highly comorbid, with symptoms that share some similarities. The evidence-based diagnostic process for these disorders includes ratings from adults in the child’s life to assess behavior across settings, so it is important to understand how these raters think about potentially overlapping symptoms. Researchers have identified negative halo effects in ratings of ADHD and ODD symptoms, but ratings of CD have not been examined in these prior studies. Thus, the current study extended past research to examine negative halo effects in parent ratings of the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation of ADHD (i.e., ADHD/HI), ODD, and CD. Parent participants read one of four vignettes that portrayed an 11-year-old boy displaying symptoms of ADHD/HI, ODD, CD, or typical development, and then completed a disruptive behavior scale. The general trend we found was that the presence of a relatively more severe disorder (i.e., CD) artificially inflated ratings of - or showed a negative halo effect for - the relatively less severe disorder (i.e., ADHD/HI), but with some nuance as discussed in the paper. These findings explain and validate how important it is that clinicians conduct evidence-based psychological assessments to decrease the chance of misdiagnosis.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive behaviors. Impairment in individuals diagnosed with ADHD is significant; one such domain of impairment is achieving a college education. College students with ADHD tend to have lower grade point averages, take longer to graduate, and have higher dropout rates than individuals without ADHD. Those with ADHD may be inadequately prepared for college. College readiness can be broken into self-determination, academic skills, and daily living skills, all of which are possible areas of deficit for individuals with ADHD, given their common characteristics. In the current study, we examined differences in college readiness in undergraduates with and without ADHD. In general, students with ADHD were found to be less prepared for college than those without ADHD, and specific areas of unpreparedness were identified. The findings support the need for intervention for students with ADHD before or early in their college careers. Further research on specific skill deficits and ameliorative steps is needed.

Changes were made in DSM-5 to address the criticism that ADHD symptoms in DSM-IV were not developmentally appropriate for adults. Specifically, parenthetical examples were added to symptoms, and the symptom threshold was lowered. ADHD diagnosis in college students in particular is a growing concern. It was hypothesized that changes to the ADHD symptoms across DSM editions would result in higher symptom endorsement rates in this group. To this end, 3877 college students rated their own ADHD symptoms using DSM-IV and DSM-5 symptom wording. College students with a past diagnosis of ADHD (n = 435) endorsed slightly more symptoms with the updated DSM-5 wording (an additional 0.41 ADHD symptoms). In addition, 5.2% more college students met the new, lowered DSM-5 symptom threshold as compared to the older DSM-IV threshold. Changes to DSM-5 Criterion A for ADHD increase symptom endorsement and the number of college students eligible for a diagnosis.

University students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD) have higher rates of academic difficulty than their unaffected peers. Thus, some academic accommodations may be useful to them. However, research suggests that college students are hesitant to use their approved academic accommodations for fear of negative perceptions. The aim of the current study was to examine the perceptions of professors and fellow college students (i.e., peers) who were presented with a vignette depicting a fictitious student requesting an academic accommodation. It was hypothesized that professors and peers would have more negative impressions of students needing accommodations because of ADHD and SLD diagnoses, as compared to three other reasons (i.e., depression, a visual impairment, or collegiate athletics [specifically basketball]). In a sequence of two similar experiments, professors and then peers were presented with one of the five vignettes, and were asked to rate the student on various measures of academic ability and work ethic, among other things. Overall, our data suggested relatively positive perceptions of college students who request academic accommodations. However, contrary to the hypothesis, the fictitious basketball player received the most negative ratings. Implications and future directions are discussed.

The purpose of the current study was to test for a relation between emerging adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) status, how they reported being reared (i.e., perceived parenting style), and how the maternal parenting they received in childhood was linked with current adjustment. College students completed online surveys regarding their ADHD status, impairment, and maternal parenting style. Participants with ADHD reported higher levels of maternal authoritarian parenting (controlling/punitive) and lower levels of maternal authoritative parenting (structured/supportive) compared with participants without ADHD. Across the entire sample, higher reported maternal authoritative parenting was associated with lower levels of inattention (IA), hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), depression, anxiety and stress, and higher levels of maternal authoritarian and permissive parenting was associated with higher levels of IA, HI, depression, anxiety, and stress. Sex moderated the relations between maternal parenting style and psychopathology such that women who reported low levels of authoritative parenting also reported higher levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, where no differences in psychopathology were found in men across both low and high levels of authoritative parenting. These links between current adjustment and maternal parenting style suggest authoritative parenting may protect against negative adjustment in college students and may be especially important for women.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms among college students are associated with high rates of alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences. Use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) is generally related to lower levels of alcohol use and problems; however, it is unclear how effectively students with ADHD symptoms can implement PBS, and whether certain types of PBS use may yield better outcomes. This study examined relations between PBS type and ADHD symptoms on both alcohol use and consequences, and whether these relations varied by biological sex. Participants were 875 college student drinkers from three universities who completed measures of ADHD symptoms, PBS, past-month alcohol use, and alcohol-related consequences. There were significant moderation effects of ADHD symptoms, such that the relation between PBS use and alcohol use was more pronounced for students high in inattention, and the relation between PBS use and alcohol-related consequences was more pronounced for students high in either inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms. These relations were found for both manner of drinking and stopping/limiting drinking PBS, and they tended to be strongest for male students. There were no significant interaction effects that included serious harm reduction PBS; for all students, increased use of this type of PBS was associated with fewer problems. These results suggest that PBS are likely effective for students with ADHD symptoms. Interventions that provide explicit instruction in employing PBS, particularly related to manner of drinking and stopping/limiting drinking strategies, are recommended for students with ADHD symptoms.

Znalezienie równowagi pomiędzy życiem zawodowym i prywatnym może być trudne. Niniejszy artykuł jest nieopartą na dowodach listą nieformalnych, anegdotycznych sugestii dla osób pracujących zawodowo, które próbują znaleźć równowagę pomiędzy licznymi rolami w pracy oraz wychowywaniem dzieci. Pragnę podkreślić, że nie twierdzę, iż jest to oparta na dowodach metoda osiągnięcia optymalnej równowagi między życiem zawodowym i prywatnym; niniejszy artykuł jest przykładem nienaukowego ujęcia i zawiera listę dziewięciu sugestii, które, mam nadzieję, będą dla niektórych pomocne. Jestem dyplomowanym psychologiem klinicznym pracującym w USA. Na pierwszym miejscu jestem profesorem nadzwyczajnym na średniej wielkości uniwersytecie, na drugim klinicznym psychologiem w tej społeczności. Jestem mężatką, mam jedno dziecko, i jestem w pełni świadoma, że sugestie mogą być najbardziej pomocne dla osób ze zbliżoną sytuacją rodzinno-zawodową. Na dziewięć proponowanych przeze mnie sugestii składa się: 1) Skupiać się na jednym zadaniu naraz; 2) Rozsądnie wykorzystywać czas, kiedy dziecko jest w przedszkolu; 3) Ustalić parametry dla zawodowego e-maila; 4) Zlecić komuś najbardziej nielubiany obowiązek domowy; 5) Wyznaczyć głównego rodzica na różne okresy; 6) Bawić się ze swoim dzieckiem/dziećmi; 7) Wyjeżdżać na urlop wypoczynkowy; 8) Nauczyć się mówić „nie” oraz 9) Dbać o własne zdrowie psychiczne. Każda z tych anegdotycznych sugestii jest kolejno omówiona, wskazuję również empiryczne artykuły do pogłębienia wiedzy dla osób zainteresowanych.

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is characterized by a passive form of inattention that may not overtly disrupt classroom goals. Due to the nature of these symptoms, children with SCT may be "falling through the cracks" in schools. The current study examined pre-service teachers' perceptions of SCT in the classroom. Undergraduate education majors (n = 161) read vignettes describing fictitious fourth-grade boys presenting with symptoms of SCT, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or a non-ADHD-related control: social anxiety disorder (SA), and rated each of the vignettes in terms of their perceptions of the boy described. Results were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVAs and paired-sample t tests. Pre-service teachers viewed all three sets of symptoms as concerning, but viewed ADHD behaviors as the most problematic. These results are promising, as they suggest that pre-service teachers are concerned about both hyperactive (i.e., ADHD) and non-hyperactive behavioral problems (i.e., SCT and SA). Implications and future directions are discussed.

Objective: The current study examines psychometric properties of the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (WFIRS), a measure of adult ADHD-related impairment. It is a self-report questionnaire that provides a metric of overall life impairment and domain-specific dysfunction. Method: Using data from a large ( N = 2,093), multi-institution sample of college students and including a subsample of collateral informants ( n = 262), a series of analyses were conducted. Results: The WFIRS demonstrated robust internal reliability, cross-informant agreement on par or superior to other measures of ADHD symptomatology and impairment, and concurrent validity. The WFIRS was not shown to be uniquely associated with ADHD, as internalizing symptoms also associated with the total and domain scores. Conclusion: The use of the WFIRS in identifying ADHD-related impairment in emerging adults appears to be psychometrically supported, and will prove useful to clinicians and researchers.

Although the research is clear that boys with ADHD have higher symptomatology and impairment than girls with ADHD, for adults the research is mixed. Some studies suggest no sex differences, whereas others suggest that women might have higher symptomatology and impairment. The present study examined sex differences in ADHD symptomatology and impairment, and the possible role of claimed and behavioral self-handicapping as an explanation for any differences. Claimed self-handicapping (CSH) involves reports of performance-inhibiting conditions, whereas behavioral self-handicapping (BSH) involves reporting more objective, intentional acts that could undermine performance. College students (N = 699) completed an online study. Sex differences were found for hyperactivity such that women reported higher levels, but not for inattention or impairment. The test of the indirect effect of sex through CSH was significant, suggesting that higher levels of CSH in women were associated with elevated ADHD symptoms and impairment. The test of the indirect effect of sex through BSH was also significant, suggesting that higher levels of BSH in men are associated with elevated symptoms of ADHD and impairment. These data extend the literature by suggesting that self-handicapping might at least partially explain differential self-reporting of ADHD symptoms and impairment in emerging adults across the sexes.

Sex and gender differences in psychopathology have been understudied, yet identifying and understanding variability by sex and gender is important for the development of comprehensive etiological models as well as effective assessment and treatment of psychopathology in all persons. In the current article, we discuss the importance of sex and gender in psychopathology research, review terminology used when examining these constructs, and present multiple explanations for differential prevalence rates. Next, we review articles from psychopathology journals and conclude that researchers more often include both males and females than they did two decades ago, but still do not consistently analyze by sex or gender. We also provide an update of male-to-female ratios as presented in the DSM-5 and conduct a systematic review of the literature for selected disorders. We conclude that the DSM-5 presentation of sex or gender ratios is not systematic. Finally, we provide suggestions for the next DSM task force, researchers, journal editors, and funding agencies. These recommendations focus on more consistently and systematically considering sex and gender in all aspects of psychopathology research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Despite the commonality of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the diagnostic criteria are based largely on research with European American boys. Much less research is available regarding the prevalence of ADHD in other groups, specifically American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children. Moreover, research on sex differences in ADHD has typically not included AI/AN children. The current study examined parent- and teacher-reported ADHD symptoms in 72 AI children from one region in the Southern U.S., with a focus on sex differences. Data showed that AI children may have more pronounced sex differences in ADHD symptomology than is found in studies with primarily European American children. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Objective: ADHD is no longer considered a disorder that children simply outgrow. Adults experience ADHD at high rates (2.5%-5%) and are impaired in multiple life domains, including social impairment. The purpose of this study was to examine emerging adults with varying degrees of ADHD symptomology in respect to social impairment, state and trait anger, romantic relationship satisfaction, and intimate partner violence (IPV). Method: College students, a subset of emerging adults, were recruited to complete measures online. Results: Data were analyzed using a series of multiple regressions. Higher levels of ADHD symptomology in college students were related to increased social impairment and higher levels of state and trait anger, but not romantic relationship satisfaction or rates of IPV. Conclusion: Anger management and social skills training may be beneficial treatment components for this group.

Objective: Approximately 5% of adults have ADHD. Despite recommendations regarding the diagnosis of emerging adults, there is not a strong consensus regarding the ideal method for diagnosing ADHD in both emerging and mature adults. We were interested in determining whether a threshold of four, five, or six ADHD symptoms would be associated with significantly different levels of functional impairment and be more or less indicative of a potential ADHD diagnosis. Method: We examined the relation between functional impairment and these ADHD symptom thresholds in 2,577 college students. Results: Our findings suggest that none of these symptom thresholds are differentially better at predicting functional impairment. Conclusion: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) threshold of five symptoms for ages 17 years and older is not necessarily predictive of ADHD-related impairment in college students and may not be preferable to other thresholds. Options for resolving this diagnostic dilemma are discussed.

The purpose of this article is to examine the psychometric properties of the Primary Care Mental Health Screener (PCMHS; Hartung & Lefler, 2010) for children. Fifty-eight parent–child dyads with children ages 3 to 8 were recruited. Child participants were administered IQ and achievement measures, and parents completed the screening tool and multiple measures of emotional, behavior, and social functioning. Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses suggest that the PCMHS has promising psychometric properties for several common clinical disorders (i.e., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and anxiety). The PCMHS is a promising new screening tool. Implications, limitations, and future directions for research on children's mental health screening are discussed.

Children with ADHD typically experience significant impairment at home and school, and their relationships with parents, teachers, and peers often are strained. Psychosocial interventions for ADHD generally focus on behavior change in one environment at a time (i.e., either home or school); however, unisystemic interventions generally are not sufficient. The purpose of this article is to describe a family-school intervention for children with ADHD. In addition, program strategies and theoretical bases are discussed.

Objective: Given the mixed literature in the area, the aim of the current study was to determine whether sex differences exist in inattention, hyperactivity, and impairment in college adults with ADHD. Method: Individuals from three universities were recruited for the study. Participants with ( n = 164) and without ADHD ( n = 710) completed on-line measures of symptoms and impairment. Results: College women with ADHD were shown to have higher rates of inattention, hyperactivity, and impairment than college women without ADHD and college men with ADHD. Analyses revealed that women in college who have ADHD experience higher levels of impairment in the following domains: home life, social life, education, money management, and daily life activities. Conclusion: Overall, clear differences emerged between men and women with ADHD. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Introduction Approximately 80% of children with mental health problems do not receive services. It has been recommended that mental health screening be conducted during pediatric visits (Huffman & Nichols, 2004). Methods The Primary Care Mental Health Screener (PCMHS) was designed to screen for DSM-IV disorders (APA, 1994) in children. The PCMHS was completed by 328 parents of 3- to 12-year-olds. Results The long-form showed adequate to excellent internal consistency across three age groups and eight subscales with one exception (depression in preschoolers). Next, data were used to shorten the screener without compromising internal consistency, resulting in a 32-item short-form. Discussion The long-form of the PCMHS is a promising mental health screener. The internal consistency of the proposed short-form should be examined with a separate sample. Additional research is needed to improve the reliability of the PCMHS for 3- to 5-year-olds and, in general, to examine the validity of this screener.

Research on social skills interventions has been mixed. This study evaluates a group-administered, manualized social skills intervention program. Twenty-three boys and 9 girls between the ages of 7 and 13 participated. Participants were included in the groups based on peer relationship difficulties rather than diagnostic status, resulting in a diagnostically heterogeneous sample. As a group, children who were symptomatic at pretest made statistically significant and, in some cases, clinically significant improvements on socially relevant constructs. The results provide modest support for this intervention. Implications for future research, clinical work, and younger children are discussed.

This article describes a manualized social skills intervention for children with peer relationship problems developed by Milich and colleagues (Milich et al., 1995, 2004). The program includes deficits-based components and problem-solving/anger-management components. This intervention is meant to be delivered in a group format over 8 sessions. It was designed for children ages 7 to 13 years and 2 treatment efficacy studies have been conducted with this age group (Antshel & Remer, 2003; Lefler et al., 2008). The program has also been adapted for use with younger children in a Head Start setting, but treatment outcome research with this age group has not yet been completed. This article addresses 3 issues. First, an introduction to social skills interventions is presented. Second, the Milich et al. social skills program is described. Third, our recommendations for adapting the Milich et al. intervention for younger children is detailed as well as our clinical experience in using the intervention in Head Start.

The goal of this study was to examine the development of attention and response inhibition from ages 5 to 7. Forty children (20 5-year-olds and 20 7-year-olds) completed four counterbalanced phases of a continuous performance task. Phase 1 was designed to measure attention without distraction, Phase 2 was designed to measure attention with distraction, Phase 3 was designed to measure attention and response inhibition without distraction, and Phase 4 was designed to measure attention and response inhibition with distraction. With regard to attention, 7-year-olds performed significantly better than 5-year-olds. This age difference was more pronounced when distraction was present. With regard to response inhibition, there were no significant age differences. These results appear to suggest that attention improves between ages 5 and 7 but response inhibition does not. However, conclusions regarding response inhibition were limited because the distraction appeared to have had too powerful an effect on the 5-year-olds. Implications and future directions are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects many adults and is particularly impairing for emerging adults enrolled in college. Research has shown substantial academic impairment for these individuals. However, research on ADHD impairment has largely been quantitative and focused on children. Therefore, the current study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experience of college students with ADHD with the following two research questions: (1) What is it like to be a college student with ADHD? and (2) What resources are utilized by college students with ADHD? Thirty-six college students with ADHD were interviewed in focus group settings. Our participants reported a complex and mixed experience living with ADHD in college and varied use of treatments and other accommodations. Specifically, three Constructs emerged in the current study: Consequences of Diagnosis, Impairment, and Treatment Management. Implications for professionals working with these students and future directions for researchers are discussed.

The current study examined ADHD stigma within a college-enrolled young adult population, including the debate regarding the cause of stigma: label or behavior. In Phase 1, 135 college students rated stigma toward one of the four fictitious partners described as having either: the label of ADHD alone, the behaviors associated with ADHD alone, the label of ADHD and a set of behaviors associated with ADHD, or neither the label nor behaviors. In Phase 2, 48 college students rated stigma toward one of the two assigned fictitious partners described as having either: the label of ADHD and a set of behaviors associated with ADHD, or the label of Depression and a set of behaviors associated with Depression. It was hypothesized that the interaction between the label and the behaviors would cause the highest levels of ADHD stigma and that ADHD would elicit more stigma than Depression. In Phase 1, stigma was associated with the behaviors of ADHD, but not the label. In Phase 2, ADHD and Depression were found to be equally stigmatized. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

The current study illustrates how researchers developed and validated a cartoon-based adaptation of a written hostile attributional bias measure for a sample of urban, low-income, African American boys. A series of studies were conducted to develop cartoon illustrations to accompany a standard written hostile attributional bias vignette measure (Study 1), to determine initial psychometric properties (Study 2) and acceptability (Study 3), and to conduct a test–retest reliability trial of the adapted measure in a separate sample (Study 4). These studies utilize a participatory action research approach to measurement design and adaptation, and suggest that collaborations between researchers and key school stakeholders can lead to measures that are psychometrically strong, developmentally appropriate, and culturally sensitive. In addition, the cartoon-based hostile attributional bias measure appears to have promise as an assessment and/or outcome measure for aggression and bullying prevention programs conducted with urban African American boys.

Disruptive behaviors in adolescents can be grouped broadly into four categories: (1) inattention, (2) hyperactivity and impulsivity, (3) oppositionality and defiance, and (4) conduct problems and antisocial behaviors including aggression. Some of these behaviors at low levels are normative at certain ages. However, these behaviors are considered problematic when the individual experiences impairment due to the chronic nature of the symptoms. Both typical and problematic manifestations of disruptive behaviors are discussed. Further, the developmental progression and known sex differences in disruptive behaviors are elucidated. Finally, causes of and treatments for disruptive behavior disorders are presented.

Dopamine regulation may play a role in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Visual contrast sensitivity has been proposed as a measure of retinal dopamine that may predict frontal lobe dopamine levels. Individuals with disorders involving dopamine dysregulation (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Phenylketonuria) have shown poor contrast sensitivity. In this study, 110 6- to 13-year-old children with and without ADHD completed a task measuring visual contrast sensitivity. As predicted, contrast sensitivity was significantly worse in children with ADHD-Combined Type than controls. Contrast sensitivity was significantly correlated with inattention and hyperactivity. However, unlike many neuropsychological studies of ADHD, only hyperactivity accounted for unique variance.