TY - JOUR
T1 - Low standards yet disappointed
T2 - ADHD symptoms and experiential avoidance in college students
AU - Bodalski, Elizabeth A.
AU - Abu-Ramadan, Tamara M.
AU - Hough, Caroline E.
AU - Lefler, Elizabeth K.
AU - Meinzer, Michael C.
AU - Antshel, Kevin M.
N1 - Funding Information:
☆ The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - The literature suggests that ADHD symptoms are associated with experiential avoidance (EA), but little is known about factors that explain this relation. The present study examined indirect effects of ADHD symptoms on EA via perfectionism in a sample of 3720 undergraduates who completed an online survey. Results showed that perfectionism partially explained the relation between ADHD symptoms and EA, yet the direction of findings differed when examining different elements of perfectionism. Specifically, ADHD symptoms predicted higher Discrepancy scores, but lower Standards and Order scores. This suggests that undergraduates with elevated ADHD symptoms do not strive towards orderliness or hold themselves to overly high standards, yet judge themselves harshly for falling short of their expectations. Targeting this harsh judgment through the use of cognitive-behavioral, or acceptance and commitment therapy may be beneficial for undergraduates with elevated symptoms of ADHD.
AB - The literature suggests that ADHD symptoms are associated with experiential avoidance (EA), but little is known about factors that explain this relation. The present study examined indirect effects of ADHD symptoms on EA via perfectionism in a sample of 3720 undergraduates who completed an online survey. Results showed that perfectionism partially explained the relation between ADHD symptoms and EA, yet the direction of findings differed when examining different elements of perfectionism. Specifically, ADHD symptoms predicted higher Discrepancy scores, but lower Standards and Order scores. This suggests that undergraduates with elevated ADHD symptoms do not strive towards orderliness or hold themselves to overly high standards, yet judge themselves harshly for falling short of their expectations. Targeting this harsh judgment through the use of cognitive-behavioral, or acceptance and commitment therapy may be beneficial for undergraduates with elevated symptoms of ADHD.
KW - ADHD
KW - College
KW - Experiential avoidance
KW - Maladaptive perfectionism
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.04.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jcbs.2023.04.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85151721477
SN - 2212-1447
VL - 28
SP - 180
EP - 184
JO - Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
JF - Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
ER -