The relationship among adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms, childhood trauma, and marital adjustment with a non-clinical sample

Abstract

The main aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between childhood trauma, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms in adulthood and marital adjustment. For this purpose, the role of ADHD symptoms in adulthood as a potential media-tor of the relationship between childhood trauma and marital adjustment was tested. The study involved 301 participants (164 women and 137 men) who were married once and officially, for at least one year, aged 22-61, and had at least high school degree. A Demo-graphic Information Form, Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) were administered. Spearman Correlation Analysis and “PROCESS” macro developed by Hayes in regression analysis for the instrument variable were used to test the hypothesis. It was depicted that there was a positive relationship between adult ADHD symptoms and childhood trauma levels while there was a negative one between adult ADHD symptoms and marital adjustment. The association between childhood trauma and marital adjustment was also identified as negative. It was indicated that there was a mediator role of adult ADHD symptoms in relation to child-hood trauma and marital adjustment. The results were found to be consistent with the literature in general and they were discussed in the context of the literature.

Keywords

• marital adjustment
• adulthood attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder
• adhd
• childhood trauma
• meditor variable