Predictors and Mechanisms of Resilience for High School Students with ADHD: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

Authors

Elizabeth S. Chan, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA. ec1230@gsapp.rutgers.edu.
Melissa R. Dvorsky, Division of Psychology and Behavioral Health, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Cathrin D. Green, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Rosanna Breaux, Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
Stephen P. Becker, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Joshua M. Langberg, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

5-15-2024

Journal

Child psychiatry and human development

DOI

10.1007/s10578-024-01704-3

Keywords

Adolescence; Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Resilience; Self-efficacy; Stress-is-enhancing mindset

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has primarily been studied from a deficit-focused perspective. However, there are individuals with ADHD who exhibit resilience or a pattern of positive adaptation despite the risks associated with their diagnosis. The present study evaluated whether peer acceptance predicted resilience for adolescents with ADHD and if self-efficacy or a stress-is-enhancing mindset served as mechanisms of those relations. Participants included 113 comprehensively evaluated adolescents with ADHD (67% male) across three time-points (10th-12th grade). Mediation analyses revealed higher T1 peer acceptance significantly predicted higher resilience (β = 0.24) 1.5-2 years later, with higher T2 self-efficacy (β = 0.08) demonstrating a significant indirect effect of the association. A stress-is-enhancing mindset directly predicted resilience (β = 0.15) but was not associated with peer acceptance nor mediated the association between peer acceptance and resilience. Present results are the first to provide longitudinal evidence for peer acceptance, self-efficacy, and a stress-is-enhancing mindset as important for promoting resilience among adolescents with ADHD.

APA Citation

Chan, Elizabeth S.; Dvorsky, Melissa R.; Green, Cathrin D.; Breaux, Rosanna; Becker, Stephen P.; and Langberg, Joshua M., "Predictors and Mechanisms of Resilience for High School Students with ADHD: A Prospective Longitudinal Study" (2024). GW Authored Works. Paper 4932.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/4932

Department

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences