Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and social skills in youth: a moderated mediation model of emotion dysregulation and depression.

Although studies document an association between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and social problems, little is known about mediating or moderating mechanisms underlying this association. We examined whether, among youth, emotion dysregulation (ED) mediates the negative association between ADHD and social skills, and whether this mediational process is moderated by symptoms of depression. A total of 171 youth with ADHD (76 % male; Mage = 12.15, SD = 0.95) and their parents completed measures of ED, depression, and social skills. Results indicated that, after controlling for oppositional defiant disorder, the negative association between ADHD and social skills was mediated by ED. Further, this indirect effect was relevant for youth with non-clinical and subclinical levels of depression but not for those with clinical levels of depression. These findings underscore the importance of ED in the association between ADHD and social functioning among youth and suggest a need for additional research to understand how and when ED impacts such functioning.