B - 67 Executive Functions as a Mediator between ADHD Symptoms and Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Emerging Adults

Abstract Objective Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with comorbid disorders such as anxiety and depression in emerging adults (Prevatt et al., 2012; Mochrie et al., 2020). However, there is limited research examining this association. This study explored the potential mediating role of executive functions in the relationship between ADHD symptoms and anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Method A sample of 842 college students (mean age of 18.96 years) completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1; Kessler et al., 2005), the Executive Function Index (EFI; Spinella, 2005), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale – 21 (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). The sample was selected from a Psychology Research Program (PRP) pool of a southern university and consisted of 630 women (74.8%), 197 men (23.4%), 13 non-binary (1.5%), and 2 preferred not to answer (0.2%). Results PROCESS 4.2 (Hayes, 2022) model 4 was used with 5000 bootstrap resamples to examine indirect effects. The confidence interval for the indirect effect of ADHD symptoms through executive function was significant for depressive symptoms, B = 0.85, SE = 0.20, 95% CI [0.48, 1.26], as well as anxiety symptoms, B = 1.36, SE = 0.23, 95% CI [0.94, 1.85]. Conclusion ADHD symptoms in college students were associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety when students reported having stronger executive function skills. Given this association, future research could seek to clarify the role of executive functions in protecting individuals with ADHD from impairments associated with anxiety or depression, and whether treatment that builds executive functioning skills is of value in clinical populations.