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Does distress intolerance moderate the link between ADHD symptoms and number of sexual partners?

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ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders

Abstract

Previous research demonstrates that ADHD symptoms are related to increased risky sexual behavior. Distress intolerance (DIT) has also been linked to risk behavior and may also be related to increased risky sexual behavior. Thus, we evaluated the degree to which DIT moderated the link between ADHD symptoms and number of casual and monogamous sexual partners. Participants were undergraduate psychology students (N = 660; 30 % male; M = 20.23, SD = 1.40; 47 % European American) who completed an online assessment. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that several DIT constructs, specifically tolerance, appraisal, and regulation, moderated the link between ADHD symptoms and casual sex partners. Only regulation moderated the association between ADHD symptoms and monogamous sex partners. Results suggest that difficulty managing distress moderates the link between ADHD symptoms and number of sexual partners. These results have important implications for prevention and intervention program development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Kathryn Van Eck, Kate Flory & Danielle Willis

  2. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for School Mental Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 737 West Lombard Street 4th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Kathryn Van Eck

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  1. Kathryn Van Eck
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  2. Kate Flory
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  3. Danielle Willis
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Correspondence to Kathryn Van Eck.

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Van Eck, K., Flory, K. & Willis, D. Does distress intolerance moderate the link between ADHD symptoms and number of sexual partners?. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord 7, 39–47 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-014-0140-3

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