A – 33 Emerging Adults with Head Injury Histories Report Greater ADHD Symptom Severity and Functional Impairment

Abstract Objective A history of head injuries, concussions, loss of consciousness, and skull fractures in adolescence or early adulthood are commonly reported among individuals undergoing neuropsychological assessment. Clarifying the relationship between head injury history and ADHD remains needed (Cook et al., 2020). This study examined the impact of head injury history on ADHD symptom severity and functional impairment in emerging adults. Method A sample of 774 college students aged 18–25 (M = 19.28, SD = 1.36) were recruited from a southern university’s research pool. They completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1; Kessler et al., 2005) and the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale – Self-Report (WFIRS-S; Weiss, 2000), which measures impairment related to ADHD. Participants also reported on any history of head injury, concussions, loss of consciousness, or skull fractures. Results Students with head injury histories (25.1%) reported higher ADHD symptom severity (M = 35.87, SD = 13.1) than those without (M = 32.01, SD = 13.3); t(772) = -3.5, p < .05, 95% CI [-6.01, -1.69], and higher functional impairment (M = 46.16, SD = 29.5) than those without (M = 40.64, SD = 29.8); t(772) = -2.2, p < .05, 95% CI [-10.36, -0.67]. Conclusion Emerging adults with head injury history reported greater ADHD symptom severity and impairment. These findings highlight the importance of assessing head injury when conducting ADHD evaluations with this population.