The Influence of Childhood Trauma and Negative Emotional State on ADHD in Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Executive Cognitive Functions

چکیده مقاله

Objectives

This research examined both the direct and indirect influences of childhood trauma and negative emotional state on ADHD symptoms in adults, highlighting the mediating effect of executive cognitive functions.

Methods

The study comprised 182 adults diagnosed with ADHD, selected through purposive sampling within a cross-sectional design. Data collection utilized the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales Self-Report: Screening Version (CAARS-S: SV), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and the Amsterdam Executive Function Inventory (AEFI).

Results

To analyze the direct and indirect relationships of independent, mediating, and dependent variables, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used. Findings indicated that both childhood trauma (β = .072; 95% CI = .009, .142; p = .049) and negative emotional state (β = .748; 95% CI = .642, .841; p = .0001) have significant direct positive associations with the symptoms of ADHD. But executive cognitive functions (β = −.163; 95% CI = −.261, −.093; p = .0001) have a significant direct negative association with the symptoms of ADHD. Furthermore, these constructs have a significant indirect role in ADHD symptoms mediated by executive cognitive functions. In this investigation, childhood trauma, negative emotional states, and executive cognitive functions collectively accounted for 92% of the variation in clinical features of ADHD. This study has established a conceptual model illustrating the direct and indirect relationships between childhood trauma, negative emotional state, and clinical features of ADHD in adults, mediated through executive cognitive functions.