Exploring the associations between symptom severity, metacognition, problematic social media use and cyberbullying in treatment naïve adolescents with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder

• Published in: Addictive behaviors 2025-01, Vol.160, p.108169, Article 108169
• Main Authors: Özkan, Yekta, Öztürk, Masum, Tvrtkovic, Selma, Aydın, Orkun, Ünal-Aydın, Pınar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Attention deficit; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Case-Control Studies; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cyberbullying; Cyberbullying - psychology; Cyberbullying - statistics & numerical data; Female; Humans; Hyperactivity; Internet Addiction Disorder - epidemiology; Internet Addiction Disorder - psychology; Male; Metacognition; Severity of Illness Index; Social Media
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108169

•ADHD adolescents lack positive meta-worry and cognitive monitoring.•Negative meta-worry is prominent in ADHD.•Problematic social media use and cyberbullying are evident in ADHD.•Problematic social media use associates with symptom severity.•Positive meta-worry and cognitive monitoring could be useful targets in intervention. This study investigates the relationship between ADHD symptom severity, metacognition, problematic social media use, and cyberbullying/cybervictimization in treatment-naïve adolescents. Understanding these relationships is vital for enhancing ADHD intervention strategies. Using a cross-sectional design, 97 adolescents meeting DSM-5 criteria for ADHD without any comorbidity and 97 healthy controls were assessed. Measures included the Metacognitions Questionnaire for Children, Social Media Disorder Scale, Revised Cyberbullying Inventory-II, and Revised Conners’ Parent Rating Scale-Short. The comparisons were performed with independent samples’ t tests and the associations were estimated by using Pearson’s bivariate correlations and multiple regression analyses. Results revealed that adolescents with ADHD exhibited higher levels of dysfunctional metacognitions, problematic social media use, cyberbullying, and cybervictimization compared to controls. Regression analysis showed significant positive associations between ADHD symptoms, specific metacognitions (e.g., positive meta-worry, cognitive monitoring), and problematic social media use. This study, the first of its kind among treatment-naïve ADHD adolescents, provides valuable insights into the relationship between ADHD symptoms and particular metacognitions (i.e. positive meta-worry, cognitive monitoring) and problematic social media use. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of ADHD in adolescence and may inform the development of targeted prevention and treatment strategies, particularly relevant given adolescents’ susceptibility to social media’s influence and their potential for cognitive flexibility in rehabilitation contexts.