Profiles of Diagnosed and Undiagnosed College Students Meeting ADHD Symptom Criteria

• Published in: Journal of attention disorders 2021-03, Vol.25 (5), p.646-656
• Main Authors: Wood, Whitney L. M., Lewandowski, Lawrence J., Lovett, Benjamin J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - epidemiology; Humans; Self Report; Students; Universities
• ISSN: 1087-0547; 1557-1246
• DOI: 10.1177/1087054718824991

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.