ADHD Symptoms and Educational Level in Adolescents: The Role of the Family, Teachers, and Peers
Schmengler, Heiko; Peeters, Margot; Stevens, Gonneke; Hartman, Catharina A; Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Vollebergh, Wilma
(2023) Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, volume 51, issue 7, pp. 1051 - 1066
(Article)
Abstract
Few studies have explored the contribution of family and school factors to the association between ADHD symptoms and lower education. Possibly, having more ADHD symptoms contributes to poorer family functioning and less social support, and consequently a lower educational level (i.e., mediation). Moreover, the negative effects of ADHD symptoms on
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education may be stronger for adolescents with poorer family functioning or less social support (i.e., interaction). Using data of the Dutch TRAILS Study (N = 2,229), we evaluated associations between ADHD symptoms around age 11 and educational level around age 14, as well as between ADHD symptoms around age 14 and 16 years and subsequent changes in educational level around age 16 and 19, respectively. We assessed the potential mediating role of family functioning, and social support by teachers and classmates, all measured around ages 11, 14, and 16, while additionally evaluating interactions between ADHD symptoms and these hypothesized mediators. ADHD symptoms were associated with poorer family functioning, less social support by teachers and classmates, and lower education throughout adolescence. No conclusive evidence of mediation was found, because unique associations between family functioning and social support by teachers and classmates and education were largely absent. Furthermore, we found no interactions between ADHD symptoms and family functioning and social support by teachers and classmates. Although social support by teachers and classmates and good family functioning may benefit the wellbeing and mental health of adolescents with high levels of ADHD symptoms, they will not necessarily improve their educational attainment.
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Keywords: ADHD, Education, Family functioning, Peers, Social support, Teachers, Psychiatry and Mental health, Developmental and Educational Psychology
ISSN: 2730-7166
Publisher: Springer
Note: Funding Information: This study is made possible by the Consortium on Individual Development (CID). CID is funded through the Gravitation program of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) (grant number 024.001.003). This research is part of the TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Organizations participating in TRAILS include various departments of the University Medical Center and University of Groningen, the Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Utrecht University, the Radboud University Medical Center, and the Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, all in the Netherlands. TRAILS has been financially supported by various grants from NWO, ZonMW, GB-MaGW, the Dutch Ministry of Justice, the European Science Foundation, BBMRI-NL, and the participating universities. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors would like to thank the participants of the TRAILS Study and all staff involved in the management and execution of this project. Funding Information: This study is made possible by the Consortium on Individual Development (CID). CID is funded through the Gravitation program of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) (grant number 024.001.003). This research is part of the TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Organizations participating in TRAILS include various departments of the University Medical Center and University of Groningen, the Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Utrecht University, the Radboud University Medical Center, and the Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, all in the Netherlands. TRAILS has been financially supported by various grants from NWO, ZonMW, GB-MaGW, the Dutch Ministry of Justice, the European Science Foundation, BBMRI-NL, and the participating universities. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors would like to thank the participants of the TRAILS Study and all staff involved in the management and execution of this project. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).
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