title: Cognitive responses to stress, depression, and anxiety and their relationship to ADHD symptoms in first year psychology students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship between levels of reported depression, anxiety, and stress with scores on the Conners's Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Information was obtained from 84 1st-year psychology students using the CAARS, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and the Life Experiences Survey (LES).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 23%, 18%, and 12% of students scored above critical values on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., DSM-IV) Inattention Symptoms, the DSM-IV ADHD Symptoms Total, and the Inattention/Restlessness subscales, respectively. CAARS scores were positively related to reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, which accounted for significant variance among the three subscales. Only 5% of participants scored above recommended critical values on the ADHD index; however, a significant amount of the variance on this measure was also attributable to the DASS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mood symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress may obscure correct attribution of cause in those being evaluated for ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sandra J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Allyson G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009484:Neuropsychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult