Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Personality Characteristics Associated with Persistent ADHD in Late Adolescence

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study focused on the personality characteristics associated with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a longitudinal sample of youth, with a particular focus on differences between those with and without persisting ADHD symptoms. Participants with ADHD (n = 90) were initially evaluated when they were 7–11 years old, and re-assessed at 16–22 years of age. Matched control subjects (n = 80) were recruited at the time of the follow-up evaluation. At follow-up, the Kiddie-SADS-PL, a semi-structured psychiatric interview, and the NEO-PI, a self-report personality inventory, were administered. Data were analyzed using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA). Results indicate that childhood ADHD is associated with lower scores on the NEO Conscientiousness subscale in adolescents/young adults—irrespective of the degree of ADHD persistence. In contrast, ratings of Neuroticism and Agreeableness appear to be more closely linked to adolescent status; those with persisting symptoms only exhibited increased Neuroticism and decreased Agreeableness. These results suggest that ADHD, and the degree to which symptoms persist into adolescence, may be closely linked to personality structure.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Integrative guide for the 1991 CBCL/4-18, YSR, and TRF profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Levitan, R. D., Kennedy, S. H., Levitt, A. J., & Joffee, R. T. (1999). Selective alteration of personality in response to noradrenergic and serontonergic antidepressant medication in depressed sample: Evidence of nonspecificity. Psychiatry Research, 30, 211–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, R. A., Fischer, M., Smallish, L., & Fletcher, K. (2002). The persistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder into young adulthood as a functioning of reporting sources and definition of disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 279–289.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, R. A., Murphy, K., & Kwasnik, D. (1996). Psychological adjustment and adaptive impairments in young adults with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 1, 41–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biederman, J., Faraone, S., Milberger, S., Curtis, S., Chen, L., Marrs, S., et al. (1996). Predictors of persistence and remission of ADHD into adolescence: Results from a four-year prospective follow-up study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 343–351.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Braaten, E. B., & Rosen, L. A. (1997). Emotional reactions in adults with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 355–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1988). Personality in adulthood: A six-year longitudinal study of self-reports and spouse ratings on the NEO Personality Inventory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 853–863.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). NEO PI-R Professional Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Fruyt, F., Mervielde, I., Hoekstra, H. A., & Rolland, J. P. (2000). Assessing adolescents’ personality with the NEO PI-R. Assessment, 7, 329–345.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Digman, J. M. (1997). Higher-order factors of the Big Five. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 1246–1256.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eakin, L., Minde, K., Hechtman, L., Ochs, E., Krane, E., Bouffard, R., et al. (2004). The marital and family functioning of adults with ADHD and their spouses. Journal of Attention Disorders, 8, 1–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fagan, P. J., Wise, T. N., Schmidt, C. W., Ponticas, Y., Marshall, R. D., & Costa, P. T. (1991). A comparison of five-factor personality dimensions in males with sexual dysfunction and males with paraphilia. Journal of Personality Assessment, 57, 434–448.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faraone, S. V., Biederman, J., Spencer, T., Wilens, T., Seidman, L. J., Mick, E., et al. (2000). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults: An overview. Biological Psychiatry, 48, 9–20.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gittelman, R., Mannuzza, S., Shenker, R., & Bonagura, N. (1985). Hyperactive boys almost grown up. I. Psychiatric status. Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 937–947.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, J. R., Burgess, G. C., Schaefer, A., Yarkoni, T., Laresen, R., & Braver, T. S. (2005). Affective personality differences in neural processing efficiency confirmed using fMRI. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 5, 182–190.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graydanus, D. E., Sloane, M. A., & Rappley, M. D. (2002). Psychopharmacology of ADHD in adolescents. Adolescent Medicine, 13, 599–624.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heijtz, R. D., Kolb, B., & Forssberg, H. (2007). Motor inhibitory role of dopamine D1 receptors: Implications for ADHD. Physiology and Behavior (in press).

  • Holm, S. (1979). A simple sequentially rejective multiple test procedure. Scandinavian Journal of Statistics, 6, 65–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jang, K. L., Livesley, W. J., Ando, J., Yamagata, S., Suzuki, A., Angleitner, A., et al. (2006). Behavioral genetics of the higher-order factors of the Big Five. Personality and Individual Differences, 41, 261–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, P. S., Hinshaw, S. P., Kraemer, H. C., Lenora, N., Newcorn, J. H., Abikoff, H. B. et al. (2001). ADHD comorbidity findings from the MTA study: Comparing comorbid subgroups. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 147–158.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, P. S., & Kenny, D. T. (2004). The effects of yoga on the attention and behavior of boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Journal of Attention Disorders, 7, 205–216.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • John, O. P., Caspi, A., Robins, R. W., Moffitt, T., & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (1994). The “Little Five”: Exploring the nomological network of the Five-Factor model of personality in adolescent boys. Child Development, 65, 160–178.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, S. A., & Faraone, S. V. (2006). The genetics of ADHD: A literature review of 2005. Current Psychiatry Reports, 8, 393–397.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J., Birmaher, B., Brent, D., Rao, U., Flynn, C., Moreci, P, et al. (1997). Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-age Children—Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL): Initial reliability and validity data. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 980–988.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J., Brimaher, B., Brent, D., Rao, U., & Ryan, N. (1996). Kiddie-SADS—Present and lifetime version. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer, H. C., Measelle, J. R., Ablow, J. C., Essex, M. J., Boyce, W. T., Kupfer, D. J. (2003). A new approach to integrating data from multiple informants in psychiatric assessment and research: Mixing and matching contexts and perspectives. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1566–1577.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loney, J., & Milich, R. (1982). Hyperactivity, inattention, and aggression in clinical practice. Advances in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 3, 113–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mannuzza, S., Klein, R. G., Klein, D. F., Bessler, A., & Shrout, P. (2002). Accuracy of adult recall of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 1882–1888.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marks, D. J., Newcorn, J. H., & Halperin, J. M. (2001). Comorbidity in adults with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Annals of the New York Academy of the Sciences, 931, 216–238.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (1987). Validation of the five-factor model of personality across instruments and observers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 81–90.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McGrath, A. M., Handwerk, M. L., Armstrong, K. J., Lucas, C. P. & Friman, P. C. (2004). The validity of the ADHD section of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. Behavior Modification, 28, 349–374.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, K., & Barkley, R. A. (1996). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adults: Comorbidity and adaptive impairments. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 37, 393–401.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakao, K., & Treas, J. (1994). Updating occupational prestige and socioeconomic scores: How the new measures measure up. Sociological Methodology, 24, 1–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nigg, J. T., Goldsmith, H. H., & Sachek, J. (2004). Temperament and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The development of a multiple pathway model. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33, 42–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nigg, J. T., John, O. P., Blaskey, L. G., Huang-Pollack, C. L., Willcutt, E. G., Hinshaw, S. P., et al. (2002). Big five dimensions and ADHD symptoms: Links between personality traits and clinical symptoms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 451–469.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. D. A., Majeski, S. A., & Collin, T. (2004). ADHD symptoms and personality: Relationships with the five-factor model. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 977–987.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelham, W. E., Milich, R., Murphy, D. A., & Murphy, H. A. (1989). Normative data on the IOWA Conners Teacher Rating Scale. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 18, 259–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelkonen, M., Marttunen, M., Laippala, P., Lonngvist, J., & Aro, H. (1997). Psychosocial functioning in adolescent psychiatric patients: A prospective study of changes in psychosocial functioning among severely and moderately impaired adolescent outpatients. Acta Psychiatrica Schandinavica, 96, 217–224.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Plizska, S. R. (2007) Pharmacologic treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action. Neuropsychology Review, 17, 61–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ranseen, J. D., Campbell, D. A., & Baer, R. A. (1998). NEO PI-R profiles of adults with attention deficit disorder. Assessment, 5, 19–24.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reuter, M., Schmitz, A., Corr, P., & Hennig, J. (2006). Molecular genetics support Gray’s personality theory: The interaction of COMT and DRD2 polymorphisms predicts the behavioural approach system. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 9, 155–166.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, R. W., John, O. P., & Caspi, A. (1994). Major dimensions of personality in early adolescence: The Big Five and beyond. In C. F. Halverson, G. A. Kohnstamm, & R. P. Martin (Eds.), The developing structure of temperament and personality from infancy to adulthood (pp. 267–291). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rusch, N., Weber, M., Il’yasov, K. A., Lieb, K., Ebert, D., Hennig, J., et al. (2007). Inferior frontal white matter microstructure and patterns of psychopathology in women with borderline personality disorder and comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Neuroimaging, 35, 738–747.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaffer, D., Fisher, P., Piancentini, J., Schwab-Stone, M., & Wicks, J. (1989). Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-2.1P)-Parent Version. New York, NY: New York State Psychiatric Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiner, R. L., Masten, A. S., & Roberts, J. M. (2004). Childhood personality foreshadows adult personality and life outcomes two decades later: Erratum. Journal of Personality, 72, 223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonuga-Barke, E. J., Dalen, L., & Remington, B. (2003). Do executive deficit and delay aversion make independent contributions to preschool attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 1335–1342.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, T. J., Biederman, J., Madreas, B. K., Dougherty, D. D., Bonad, A. A., Livni, E., et al. (2007). Further evidence of dopamine transporter dysregulation in ADHD: A controlled PET imaging study using altropane. Biological Psychiatry (2007).

  • Staller, J. A., & Faraone, S. V. (2007). Targeting the dopamine system in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Expert Review Neurotherapy, 7, 351–362.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van’t Ent, D., Lehn, H., Derks, E. M., Hudziak, J. J., Van Strien, N. M., Veltman, D. J., et al. (2007). A structural MRI study in monozygotic twins concordant or discordant for attention/hyperactivity problems: Evidence for genetic and environmental heterogeneity in the developing brain. Neuroimaging, 35, 1004–1020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This research was supported by NIMH grant no. RO1 MH60698.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada

    Carlin J. Miller & Scott R. Miller

  2. Department of Psychiatry, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Jeffrey H. Newcorn & Jeffrey M. Halperin

  3. Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA

    Jeffrey M. Halperin

Authors
  1. Carlin J. Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Scott R. Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jeffrey H. Newcorn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jeffrey M. Halperin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlin J. Miller.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Miller, C.J., Miller, S.R., Newcorn, J.H. et al. Personality Characteristics Associated with Persistent ADHD in Late Adolescence. J Abnorm Child Psychol 36, 165–173 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-007-9167-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-007-9167-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation