I have been inclined to study the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) and friendships in adolescents. i I found that several studies have
been conducted during the past five years about the correlation of these topics. i I
discovered two empirical articles of interest that I’d like to discuss with you. i The first
article is called ‘Friendship Quality in Adolescents with ADHD.’ This article was
written in 2017 with a research question of: does the quality of friendships differ for
adolescents with and without ADHD? i The sample size was 115 adolescents and 61
of them were diagnosed with ADHD while 54 of them were not (Rokeach & Weiner,
2017). i Parental consent was obtained for each participant per the requirements of
the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological
Association, 2022). The variables of interest were the diagnosis or lack or diagnosis
of ADHD (independent variable) and friendship support (dependent variable).
i i i i i i i i i i i i The research study utilized a survey method where the participants self-
identified as having or not having an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
diagnosis. i Their diagnosis was also confirmed using the third edition of the Conners
rating scale. i The results of the dependent variable were gathered using a self-
reporting measure where the participants listed their perceived levels of social
support and negative interactions within their friendships. i This information was
gathered using a 24-item survey with a 5-point scale. The results showed that social
support decreased for individuals with ADHD; but the number of negative friendship
interactions did not differ between the two groups. i It was concluded that the quality
of friendships was diminished by having an ADHD diagnosis (Rokeach & Weiner,
2017).
i i i i i i i i i i i i An alternate study by Cynthia Beristain and Judith Wiener, who was also
involved in the previous study, asked: what are the friendship experiences
adolescents face due to their ADHD? The sample size for the study was nine
adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18 with a diagnosis of ADHD. i There were
four male participants and 5 female participants. i The participants of this study also
had their diagnoses verified using the Conners rating scale. The independent
variables for the study were the adolescents with ADHD and the dependent variable
was their friendship experiences. Interviews were used to collect the data by asking
the participants open-ended questions. Cross-case analysis was conducted to ensure
the questions validly related to social problems caused by ADHD. i The results
concluded that the social issues the adolescents faced were loneliness, isolation,
peer rejection, feeling ‘different or weird,’ and conflictual friendships (Beristain &
Wiener, 2020).
i i i i i i i i i i i i These articles worked together to verify my hypothesis that attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder negatively affects friendships in adolescents. i The
articles used two different approaches to studying ADHD and friendships. i The first
study measured the social support differences between people who did and did not
have ADHD. i The second study already assumed the negative correlation between
ADHD and friendships. It studied the types of problems adolescents with ADHD face
in their social lives. i Both articles conclude that there is a strong relationship between
ADHD and friendships in adolescents. i I believe it would be conducive to study the
relationship between ADHD and friendships in other populations such as children and
adults.
References
American Psychological Association. (2022). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and
Code of Conduct. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ethics/code (Links to an
external site.)
Beristain, C. & Wiener J. (2020). Finding True Friendships: The friendship Experiences
of Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Canadian Journal of
School Psychology. Retrieved from https://doi-
org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1177/0829573520931679 (Links to an external site.)
Rokeach, A. & Weiner, J. (2017). Friendship Quality in Adolescents with ADHD. Journal
of Attention Disorder. Retrieved from https://doi-
org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1177/1087054717735380
