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Do children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms become socially isolated? Longitudinal within-person associations in a nationally representative cohort

Do children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms become socially isolated? Longitudinal within-person associations in a nationally representative cohort

Thompson, Katie N., Agnew-Blais, Jessica C., Allegrini, Andrea G., Bryan, Bridget T., Danese, Andrea, Odgers, Candice L., Matthews, Timothy ORCID: 0000-0001-9955-6524 and Arseneault, Louise (2022) Do children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms become socially isolated? Longitudinal within-person associations in a nationally representative cohort. JAACAP Open. ISSN 2949-7329 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaacop.2023.02.001)

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Abstract

Objective
This study examined longitudinal associations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and social isolation across childhood. The study tested the direction of this association across time, while accounting for preexisting characteristics, and assessed whether this association varied by ADHD presentation, informant, sex, and socioeconomic status.
Method
Participants included 2,232 children from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study. ADHD symptoms and social isolation were measured at ages 5, 7, 10, and 12. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to assess the directionality of the association across childhood.
Results
Children with increased ADHD symptoms were consistently at increased risk of becoming socially isolated later in childhood, over and above stable characteristics (β = .05-.08). These longitudinal associations were not bidirectional; isolated children were not at risk of worsening ADHD symptoms later on. Children with hyperactive ADHD presentation were more likely to become isolated, compared with inattentive presentation. This was evident in the school setting, as observed by teachers, but not by mothers at home.
Conclusion
The study findings highlight the importance of enhancing peer social support and inclusion for children with ADHD, particularly in school settings. This study adds explanatory value beyond traditional longitudinal methods, as the results represent how individual children change over time, relative to their own preexisting characteristics.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: ADHD; bidirectional; informants; longitudinal; social isolation
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences
Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified: 20 Apr 2023 16:26
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/41463

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