(PS1-B48) Do Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms Moderate the Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Friendship Quality?

Previous research suggests that individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for experiencing friendship difficulties across the lifespan (Bodalski et al., 2019; Grygiel et al., 2018; Sibley et al., 2010). Additionally, studies have found that individuals with ADHD exhibit lower levels of mindfulness (Smalley et al., 2009; Yavuz et al., 2018). Although research shows support for the efficacy of mindfulness interventions for decreasing ADHD symptoms, fewer studies have examined the link between ADHD and trait mindfulness (i.e., mindfulness that is relatively stable over time). Additionally, no studies have looked at the relationships among ADHD symptoms, trait mindfulness, and friendship in college students.
 

Thus, the current study examined whether mindfulness moderates the relationship between ADHD symptoms and friendship quality. Participants (n = 113) were undergraduate psychology students from a state university in the Southeastern United States (29.1% male; Mage = 19.60; SDage = 7.15) who participated in an IRB-approved study examining ADHD symptoms, trait mindfulness, and friendship quality. In the current study, ADHD symptoms were evaluated using the Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV (BAARS-IV). Friendship quality was measured using the McGill Friendship Questionnaire (MFQ). Trait mindfulness was assessed via the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS).
 

Moderation analyses were conducted via the PROCESS macro for SPSS, an approach that uses bootstrapping in the examination of main and interaction effects. Results of the moderation model indicated a marginally significant interaction effect between ADHD symptoms and mindfulness (𝛣= -.02, p < .1, 95% CI [-.04, .00]). Examination of conditional effects revealed significant simple slopes for those with medium (𝛣 = -.04, p < .05, 95% CI [-0.07, -0.01]) and high (𝛣 = -.06, p < .05, 95% CI [-0.11, -0.01]) mindfulness problems but not low mindfulness problems. For both slopes, there was a significant negative relationship between ADHD inattention symptoms and friendship quality.
 

These preliminary findings suggest that problems with mindfulness may serve to exacerbate the relationship between ADHD inattention symptoms and friendship problems in college students. Future research should continue to examine how the combination of mindfulness and inattention problems affects social functioning in children, adolescents, and emerging adults.