Social group membership and risk-taking behaviors among college students with ADHD symptoms

Young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are more likely than their peers to engage in risk-taking behaviors, including harmful alcohol use, consumption of illicit drugs, and risky sexual behaviors. These behaviors become more common in the general population of young adults as they enter college, particularly for those who join social groups such as Greek life and athletics. It is unclear whether the presence of significant ADHD symptoms is related to engagement in risky behaviors particularly among students who participate in various social activities. We examined: (a) the degree to which inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms predict risk-taking behavior for a sample of 395 college students, and (b) whether the relationship between ADHD symptoms and risk-taking behavior is moderated by participation in social activities. Results indicated that more significant ADHD symptoms are associated with increased risk-taking behaviors, including harmful alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, and risky sexual behavior. Additionally, social group membership was predictive of increased risk-taking in some cases, particularly for students affiliated with Greek organizations. Findings demonstrate the need for universities to implement preventive programs for students with ADHD symptoms and those in social groups, especially Greek life, to minimize the likelihood of negative outcomes associated with risk-taking

The differential effects of phonics versus sight-recognition methods of teaching reading on the eye movements of good and poor second-grade readers

The purpose of this study was to investigate how children who had been taught reading by different methods and who differed in reading achievement scan tachistoscopically- presented words. Twenty second-grade children were grouped according to phonics or sight-recognition methods of initial reading acquisition and according to low or high reading achievement scores. As four-letter stimulus words were presented tachistoscopically, electrooculograms (EOG's) were recorded for each subject. The EOG's were averaged by the use of a digital/analog minicomputer and this analog record was digitalized. Three dependent measures were obtained from these averaged records: total amount of eye movements evoked by the stimulus word, direction of the eye scan, and scanning time. For the total amount of eye movements, it was found that both good and poor readers taught by a phonics method moved their eyes less than poor sight-recognition readers. However, good readers taught by a sight-recognition method moved their eyes less than any other group

Effects of postnatal parental smoking on parent and teacher ratings of ADHD and oppositional symptoms.

To assess the effects of postnatal parental smoking on subsequent parent and teacher ratings of DSM-IV attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and oppositional behaviors in children diagnosed with ADHD and their siblings. Children between 5 and 12 years of age with ADHD and their siblings were included. DSM-IV ADHD symptom subscales (Inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive), and oppositionality subscale scores from Conners’ Rating Scales were predicted on the basis of parental smoking status in the first 7 years after birth using Generalized Estimating Equations controlling for a range of relevant covariates. Postnatal parental smoking was associated with both parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms and oppositional behavior. After controlling for a number of covariates, several of these relationships were still significant. The risk of maternal smoking for the development of ADHD symptoms does not end during pregnancy. Research on the mechanisms underlying the observed associations is needed

A Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and Mentoring Program for College Students With ADHD

College students with ADHD are at increased risk for a number of functional impairments, the severity of which is of sufficient clinical significance to warrant intervention (DuPaul & Weyandt, 2009). Very little treatment research of this type has been conducted to date (Green & Rabiner, 2012). The need for such research is critical, given the increasing numbers of students with ADHD attending college (Pryor, Hurtado, DeAngelo, Blake, & Tran, 2010), their increased risk for dropping out of college, and the known negative life outcomes for which they may be at increased risk later as adults (Barkley, Murphy, & Fischer, 2008). To address this situation werecently developed and began testing Accessing Campus Connections and Empowering Student Success (ACCESS). The active phase of ACCESS provides group cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), accompanied by individual mentoring. Booster group CBT and mentoring sessions are provided during a maintenance phase. Preliminary findings have revealed significant increases in ADHD knowledge, use of organizational skills, and reductions in maladaptive thinking, all of which are presumed mechanisms of clinical change. Such changes have been accompanied by reductions in ADHD symptoms, improvements in executive functioning, educational benefits,improved emotional well-being, and increased use of disability services and other campus resources. Although promising, such findings are limited by the fact that ACCESS has thus far been tested in an open clinical trial. Thus, additional research is needed to determine its efficacy and effectiveness

Social support mobilization and deterioration after Mexico's 1999 flood: Effects of context, gender, and time

Samples of adults representative of Teziutlán, Puebla, and Villahermosa, Tobasco, were interviewed 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the devastating 1999 flood and mudslides. The interview contained multiple measures of social support that had been normed for Mexico. Comparisons between sample data and population norms suggested minimal mobilization of received support and substantial deterioration of perceived support and social embeddedness. Social support was lowest in Teziutlán, which had experienced mass casualties and displacement, and among women and persons of lower educational attainment. Disparities according to gender, context, and education grew larger as time passed. The results provide compelling evidence that the international health community must be mindful of social as well as psychological functioning when disasters strike the developing world

Progressive Contextualization: Thinking about Extreme Events

This essay reviews the following works:Side Effects: Mexican Governance under NAFTA’s Labor and Environmental Agreements. By Mark Aspinwall. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2013. Pp. ix + 209. $24.95 paper. ISBN: 9780804782302.Toxic Injustice: A Transnational History of Exposure and Struggle. By Susanna Rankin Bohme. Oakland: University of California Press, 2015. Pp. vii + 343.$29.95 paper. ISBN: 9780520278998.Rubble: The Afterlife of Destruction. By Gastón R. Gordillo. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2014. Pp. xi + 315. $26.95 paper. ISBN: 9780822356196.Unearthing Conflict: Corporate Mining, Activism, and Expertise in Peru. By Fabiana Li. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2015. Pp. vii + 265.$24.95 paper. ISBN: 9780822358312.Engineering Mountain Landscapes: An Anthropology of Social Investment. Edited by Laura L. Scheiber and María Nieves Zedeño. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2015. Pp. ix + 201. $45.00 paper. ISBN: 9781607814337

Postdisaster PTSD over four waves of a panel study of Mexico's 1999 flood

Samples of adults representative of Tezuitlán, Puebla and Villahermosa, Tobasco (combined N = 561), were interviewed 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the devastating 1999 floods and mudslides in Mexico. Current DSM-IV PTSD and major depressive disorder (MDD) were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. At Wave 1, PTSD was highly prevalent (24% combined), especially in Tezuitlán (46%), which had experienced mass casualties and displacement. Both linear and quadratic effects of time emerged, as PTSD symptoms initially declined but subsequently stabilized. Differences between cities lessened as time passed. Comorbidity between PTSD and MDD was substantial. The findings demonstrate that the international health community needs to be prepared for epidemics of PTSD when disasters strike developing areas of the world

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for College Students With ADHD: Temporal Stability of Improvements in Functioning Following Active Treatment

Objective: This study examined the extent to which college students with ADHD continued to benefit from a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program beyond the active phase of treatment. Method: In successive cohorts over a 4-year period, a total of 88 college students with well-defined ADHD received CBT in an open clinical trial format that included active treatment and maintenance phases delivered across two consecutive semesters. Results: Immediately following active treatment, participants displayed statistically significant reductions in ADHD symptoms, improvements in executive functioning, and declines in anxiety and depression symptoms. Although grade point average did not improve significantly, there were statistically significant increases in the number of credit hours that participants attempted and earned across active treatment. Improvements in symptom severity, executive functioning, and educational functioning remained stable 5 to 7 months after active treatment concluded. Conclusion: Findings from this study support the use of CBT interventions for college students with ADHD. (J. of Att. Dis. 2020; 24(6) 863-874

Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Mother-adolescent interactions, family beliefs and conflicts, and maternal psychopathology.

A group of 83 adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were subdivided into those with ADHD alone (n = 27) and those with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ADHD/ODD, n = 56). They were compared to each other and a community control group (n = 77) on measures of family conflicts, family beliefs, maternal adjustment, and observations of mother-adolescent interactions during both a neutral and conflict discussion. Both ADHD groups had more topics on which there was conflict and more angry conflicts at home than control adolescents on parent reports. Only the ADHD/ODD adolescents reported more such conflicts, endorsed more extreme and unreasonable beliefs about their parent-teen relations, and demonstrated greater negative interactions during a neutral discussion than the control teenagers. Similarly, only mothers of the ADHD/ODD teens displayed greater negative interactions during a neutral discussion, more extreme and unreasonable beliefs about their parent-teen relations, greater personal distress, and less satisfaction in their marriages than the mothers in the control group. Most findings for the ADHD only group were between the control group and the group with mixed ADHDIODD but did not differ from either group. Results imply that it is the combination of ODD symptoms with those of ADHD that is associated with the greater-than-normal conflicts, anger, poor communications, unreasonable beliefs, and negative interactive styles seen in ADHD adolescents. These same characteristics typify their mothers' interactions as well such that both the adolescents' ODD symptoms and maternal psychological distress (hostility) make unique contributions to the degree of conflict and anger in the parent-teen relations of ADHD adolescents

Self-Reported ADHD and Adjustment in College : Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Findings

Objective: To examine the association between self-reported ADHD and college adjustment. Participants: Study 1 included nearly 3400 undergraduates attending a public and private university. Study 2 included 846 students who participated during freshman and sophomore year. Method: Students completed a web-based survey that assessed diagnostic status and adjustment in multiple domains. Results: Relative to other students, those with self-reported ADHD had lower GPAs and reported more academic concerns, depressive symptoms, social concerns, emotional instability, and substance use. Overall, however, most were making satisfactory adjustments in these domains. Benefits of medication treatment were not found. Freshman year ADHD predicted lower GPA, increased academic concerns and alcohol use, and smoking initiation. Conclusion: Students with ADHD struggled relative to peers but most were adjusting reasonably well across multiple domains. Future research should move beyond the use of self-reported diagnosis and more carefully examine the impact of medication treatment in this population. (J. of Att. Dis. 2009; 13(3) 297-309