Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with academic underperformance that may have detrimental effects on the quality of life, mental health, and psychosocial functioning. To compensate for co-occurring disorders, neuropsychological deficits and functional impairments, students with ADHD may develop study addiction and use compulsive study behaviour as a maladaptive stress-coping strategy. However, previous studies indicate that pharmacological treatment may alleviate core symptoms of ADHD, as well as associated social and academic impairments. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between study addiction and ADHD symptoms among females, and the moderating role of pharmacotherapy in this relationship. The study included 94 female students with an ADHD diagnosis, from whom 21 received systematic pharmacological treatment. Moderation analyses revealed that ADHD was positively related to study addiction only for those women who receive pharmacotherapy. Conversely, for females who do not take stimulant medication, the relationship between study addiction and ADHD was non-significant. These results suggest that in women with ADHD, pharmacotherapy may improve cognitive performance, motivation, and goal-oriented sensitivity and thereby shift impulsivity and addiction-prone tendencies into socially approved behaviours such as studying. Without pharmacotherapy, symptoms may be too impairing to maintain such study-oriented behaviour. Based on these findings, further investigations of compulsive study behaviour and its relation to pharmacological treatment among ADHD students are highly warranted.
Book of Abstracts [Unofficial – Accepted Presentation, Abstract Submission Ongoing]
Study Addiction among Females with ADHD: The Moderating Role of Pharmacological Treatment