Impact of ADHD on university academic performance
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity . As a neurodevelopmental disorder, it is present from childhood, and is usually diagnosed during childhood and adolescence. However, sometimes the diagnosis is not made until adulthood, especially among young adults, such as college students .
There are few studies on ADHD in university populations, but the prevalence of ADHD in adults, including university students, is around 4-5% (Song et al., 2021). This figure is not as accurate as in previous educational stages, since university students do not always report their diagnoses to the educational centers where they study and most studies conducted in this population are based only on symptomatology scales (Weibel et al., 2020). However, university academic support services indicate that approximately 25% of students who receive academic support do so due to difficulties associated with ADHD (Nelson et al., 2015) and it should be noted that the number of students requesting these services increases every year (Adachi et al., 2020).
25% of students who receive academic support do so due to difficulties associated with ADHD, and the number of students requesting these services increases every year.
The expression of ADHD symptoms changes during adolescence and, for this reason, the criteria for diagnosis, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), also change from the age of seventeen, when only five symptoms are required to make a diagnosis of ADHD instead of 6, as is the case with the child population. On the other hand, the expression of hyperactivity changes during the adult stage , and the symptoms of hyperactivity are reduced, with those of attention deficit taking precedence (Sibley et al., 2022). Hyperactivity is most often manifested as internal restlessness, irritability and certain difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Thus, the symptoms of attention deficit can go unnoticed due to symptoms of anxiety or as organizational difficulties in daily life or difficulties in academic or professional performance. Sometimes, not recognizing symptoms or having compensation tools acquired throughout life can lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis (Weibel et al., 2020).
Daily life with ADHD
Impact of ADHD on adaptation to university
Although ADHD symptoms change with age, affected individuals may experience academic, social, and work difficulties throughout their lives. Studies on the academic performance of university students with ADHD are limited, but it has been observed that these students have, on average , worse grades than their peers (Arnold et al., 2020; Daffner et al., 2022), and that attention deficit, as in children, is the symptom most closely related to poor academic performance . On the other hand, hyperactivity and impulsivity are more closely related to social and behavioral aspects (Sedgwich-Müller et al., 2022; Tan et al., 2022).
University students with ADHD have, on average, worse grades than their peers, and attention deficit is the symptom most closely related to poor academic performance.
The start of university studies is a stage that involves a series of vital changes. Young people have to become independent learners in a less structured environment than compulsory education, with less supervision from teachers and family members and, often, in addition, they stop living with their family to study abroad, sometimes in other cities. This transition towards independence requires a certain level of organization and self-regulation, and, for students with ADHD, this can be particularly difficult and can affect their adaptation and academic integration and be felt in their social and family environment and in their academic performance (Canu et al., 2021).
Low academic performance can lead to dropping out of university studies (Canu et al., 2021; Stevens et al., 2022), and not completing a degree or other higher education program may limit access to job opportunities and thus contribute to a cycle of socioeconomic disadvantage.
ADHD, low performance and school failure
On the other hand, it has also been observed that students with ADHD tend to have lower self-esteem, more symptoms of anxiety and depression (Döpfner et al., 2021) and more difficulties in social skills and behavioral control, which increases the likelihood of substance abuse and addiction (Sedgwick et al., 2018; Stevens et al., 2022).
Therefore, it is vitally important to diagnose this disorder during childhood, in order to initiate the corresponding treatment and prevent other later difficulties such as academic difficulties and dropping out of school.
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