Parent and Youth Perceptions of Social Competence and Friendships for Youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and/or Internalizing Symptoms
Abstract
It is known that having ADHD symptoms can cause impairments in psychosocial functioning. Children and adolescents with ADHD often exhibit difficulties in interpersonal relationships with peers (Mrug et al., 2012) and potential social competence deficits (Hoza et al., 2004). More studies are needed to examine the comparison of parent and youth self-reports on social competence and friendships in youth with ADHD and internalizing symptoms (Becker et al., 2012; Becker at al., 2015). Particularly, few studies have examined or compared these reports spanning the developmental periods of childhood to adolescence. This study examined parents’ perceptions and adolescents’ self-reports of internalizing symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression), as well as youths’ perceived social competence and friendships in a sample of children/adolescents with ADHD comorbid with internalizing symptoms (e.g., ADHD group) and non-ADHD samples (e.g., Typical Development group), at ages 9 and 15. A sample of 2511 participants (ADHD group = 400, Typical Development group = 2111), from two waves of longitudinal data (ages 9 and 15), were collected from the Future of Families and Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). Each child’s parent completed questionnaires on internalizing symptoms and social competence at both waves. Adolescents at age 15 completed questionnaires on perceived friendships and social competence. When youth were 9 years old, parents’ report of their internalizing symptoms was higher in the ADHD group, and parents’ report at their children’s age 15 was consistent with their report at youth age 9, with the ADHD group having higher parent reports of internalizing symptoms in both groups. Parents’ reports of internalizing symptoms differed from adolescent self-reports of internalizing symptoms within the Typical Development and ADHD groups, as parents reported higher levels of internalizing symptoms in their children than adolescents reported within the ADHD group. Parent ratings of their child’s social competence at age 9 was found to be a positive predictor of youths’ self-perceptions of their social competence and for friendships. Particularly, adolescents with ADHD perceived themselves differently than typically developing youth their age: The ADHD group reported lower levels of social competence and friendships.
Description
Keywords
social competence, ADHD, internalizing symptoms, human development, friendship