title: A Multi-method Examination of the Links Between ADHD and Personality Disorder.
abstract: An existing relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and personality disorder (PD) has been well documented, yet research has been limited by possible selection and self-report biases as well as PD models of questionable validity. This study examined the relationship of ADHD with adult personality traits and disorders in a sample that included individuals prescreened for elevated childhood ADHD symptoms. Four hundred thirty-nine undergraduates completed retrospective reports of childhood ADHD symptoms as well as current ratings of ADHD symptoms, traditional PD categories, and the DSM-5 alternative PD trait model. To overcome potential biases in self-report, 161 parents of the participants provided ratings of childhood and current functioning. Results suggest that while self-report of ADHD was significantly correlated with several PDs, parent reports obtained somewhat more specific links with adult dependent, borderline, and paranoid PDs. Most importantly, the DSM-5 Section III dimensional trait model provided greater specificity, as the trait of distractibility consistently emerged as a unique predictor, and thus appeared more useful for understanding the developmental pathways of ADHD.
authors: Tess E
authors: TE
authors: Smith
authors: Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
authors: Douglas B
authors: DB
authors: Samuel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult