Depression, anxiety and stress among university students with ADHD symptoms

Abstract

Markmið þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna tengsl á milli þunglyndis, kvíða og streitu og ADHD einkenna meðal háskólanema fyrir alla undirflokka ADHD. ADHD einkenni voru mæld með ADHD-RS sjálfsmatkvarðanum og einkenni þunglyndis voru mæld með PHQ-9 kvarðanum. Einkenni streitu voru mæld með PSS-10 kvarðanum og einkenni kvíða með GAD-7 kvarðanum. Rannsóknarspurningar voru (1) Er kynjamunur meðal háskólanema sem skora yfir greiningarviðmiðum á ADHD kvarðanum og þeirra sem skora undir greiningarviðmiðum? (2) Finna háskólanemar sem skora yfir greiningarviðmiðum fyrir hverja undirtegund ADHD, meira fyrir einkennum þunglyndis, kvíða, og streitu, en þeir nemendur sem ná ekki greiningarviðmiðum? (3) Hafa allar undirtegundir ADHD jafn sterk tengsl við þunglyndi, kvíða og streitu meðal háskólanema? Rannsóknin var hluti af stærri þversniðsrannsókn sem var framkvæmd með rafrænni spurningakönnun sem nemendur Háskólans í Reykjavík fengu senda í tölvupósti. Í þessari rannsókn var notast við svör 509 nemenda á aldrinum 18-49 ára. Úrtakið var valið eftir hentugleika. Niðurstöður sýna jákvæð línuleg tengsl á milli fjölda einkenna fyrir hvern undirflokk ADHD og þunglyndis, kvíða og streitu meðal háskólanema. Hingað til hafa fáar rannsóknir kannað áhrif ADHD einkenna á kvíða, þunglyndi og streitu meðal háskólanema með tilliti til undirtegunda ADHD og er þessi rannsókn sú fyrsta sinnar tegundar á Íslandi. Lykilorð: ADHD, þunglyndi, kvíði, streita, lyndiseinkenni, háskólanemar

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between mood symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress) and symptoms above criteria value for the ADHD subtypes (ADHD-I, ADHD-H and ADHD-C) among university students. The ADHD Rating Scale was used to measure self-reported ADHD symptoms and PHQ-9 was used to measure depression. To measure stress, PSS-10 was used, and GAD-7 was used to measure anxiety. The research questions posed in the study were the following: (1) Is there a gender-related difference among university students with symptoms above criteria value of ADHD-I, ADHD-H and ADHD-C, and those below? (2) Do university students with symptoms above criteria value of ADHD-I, ADHD-H and ADHD-C, report higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, than those below? (3) Do all ADHD subtypes have equally strong relationship with depression, stress, and anxiety among university students? This study was a part of a larger cross-sectional study which was performed on students at Reykjavík University. The sample was chosen by convenience where students answered an online questionnaire which they received through their university email. For the current study, answers from 509 students, with age range of 18 to 49, were used. Results indicated a positive linear relationship between ADHD symptoms for each subtype and depression, anxiety, and stress among university students. Previously, only few studies have examined the relationship between each subtype of ADHD and depression, anxiety, and stress among the university population. This study is the first of its kind in Iceland.Keywords: ADHD, mood symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, university students