I have been inclined to study the relationship between attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and friendships in adolescents. I found that
several studies have been conducted during the past five years about the
correlation of these topics. d I discovered two empirical articles of interest that I’d
like to discuss with you. d The first article is called ‘Friendship Quality in
Adolescents with ADHD.’ d This article was written in 2017 with a research
question of: does the quality of friendships differ for adolescents with and
without ADHD? d The sample size was 115 adolescents and 61 of them were
diagnosed with ADHD while 54 of them were not (Rokeach & Weiner, 2017).
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).
d d d d d d d d d d d d The research study utilized a survey method where the participants self-
identified as having or not having an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
diagnosis. d Their diagnosis was also confirmed using the third edition of the
Conners rating scale. d 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. d 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. d It was
concluded that the quality of friendships was diminished by having an ADHD
diagnosis (Rokeach & Weiner, 2017).
d d d d d d d d d d d d 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. d There
were four male participants and 5 female participants. d 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. d 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).
d d d d d d d d d d d d These articles worked together to verify my hypothesis that attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder negatively affects friendships in adolescents. d The
articles used two different approaches to studying ADHD and friendships. d The
first study measured the social support differences between people who did and
did not have ADHD. d 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. d Both articles conclude that there is a strong
relationship between ADHD and friendships in adolescents. d 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
