Impact of ADHD Symptoms on Social Rejection

There is increasing evidence that children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) face social difficulties, peer rejection, and experience victimization across all ages. However, to my knowledge, there is no long-term, large study that focuses on the correlation between ADHD and social rejection. In this study, I explored whether ADHD symptoms in elementary school predicted social rejection in middle and high school among typically developing youth. NICHD is a longitudinal study of early child care and youth development from infancy to age 15. A total of 1,364 children and families across 10 United States locations participated in the study. The sample consisted of 659 females and 705 males. This study specifically used data collected from 3rd grade to age 15. Mother’s average ADHD score significantly predicted an increase in peer victimization at age 15, exclusion by peers at age 15, and CBCL social problems scores by mother, father, and the study child at age 15. The only non-significant finding was for peer victimization as rated by the student themselves. These results indicate that higher ADHD scores predict higher social rejection in school. They also indicated that the study child might look at peer victimization differently than the adults surrounding them.