Executive dysfunction has been associated with psychotic experiences. One of the syndromes most associated with executive dysfunction difficulties in childhood is ADHD. However, stimulant ADHD medications are known to increase psychotic-like symptoms in some circumstances. These interrelated factors make it difficult to tease apart which of these most predict psychotic experiences. Using cross sectional data analysis, this thesis looks into the extent of how executive dysfunction, ADHD, and stimulant medication each independently predict psychotic symptoms in 9-10-year-old children. Part 1 is a conceptual paper based on a review of related literature. The primary aim was to understand the natures of ADHD, executive dysfunction, and stimulant medications. It further investigates their associations and potential mechanisms for psychotic experiences. Part 2 is an empirical paper, which reports a study on predictors of psychotic experiences in children. The study aimed to examine to what extent a diagnosis of ADHD, stimulant medication, and executive dysfunction each independently predict psychotic symptoms in children after controlling for potential confounders. Findings indicate that ADHD was not associated with psychotic experiences. On the other hand, both stimulant medication and executive dysfunction showed a significant relationship with psychotic experiences, even after controlling for confounders. Stimulant medication did not moderate the relationship between executive dysfunction and psychotic experiences. Clinical implications and future recommendations are further discussed.
Part 3 is a critical appraisal of the study of the literature review and the empirical study.
It includes personal reflections on the research processes from a clinical and research perspective
