Diagnostic persistence, autistic traits, and resilience in youth and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine whether children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continue to receive this diagnosis during adolescence and young adulthood, and to examine the relationships between autistic traits, psychological resilience, emotion regulation levels, and the continuity of diagnosis.

METHODS

In the initial evaluations conducted between 2012 and 2013, 121 children diagnosed with ADHD began medication treatment. From this group, 20 participants aged 13 to 25 who agreed to participate in the second evaluation, conducted between 2020 and 2022, were included in this study. The presence of ADHD in their second evaluation was determined using the DSM-5 criteria. Psychiatric comorbidities in adolescents were screened using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children - Present and Lifetime Version, 2016 Turkish Adaptation of the DSM-5, while for adults, the DSM-5 criteria were utilized. Parents completed the Social Responsiveness Scale and the Family Assessment Device, while the young participants completed the Child and Youth Resilience Measure and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale.

RESULTS

Among the participants, 10 individuals (50%) continued to have an ADHD diagnosis, exhibiting lower psychological resilience and significantly more autistic traits. No difference in emotional dysregulation was observed between those with and without an ADHD diagnosis, and a negative relationship between autistic traits and psychological resilience was identified.

CONCLUSION

The continuity of an ADHD diagnosis during adolescence and young adulthood may be associated with psychological resilience and autistic traits. However, the limited number of participants and the cross-sectional design highlight the need for larger longitudinal studies to further explore the cause-and-effect relationships.