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Correlates of Loneliness in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Comorbidities and Peer Problems

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Abstract

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are well-documented to experience social-emotional difficulties; however, little is known about their loneliness—an aspect of social-emotional functioning. Using a cross-sectional design, we examined how loneliness relates to comorbid internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, and peer problems in a sample of 213 children with ADHD. Children (66 girls, Mage = 8.58, SDage = 1.55) reported their loneliness. Comorbid internalizing and externalizing disorders were assessed via a multi-informant procedure. Proportion of classmates who accepted, rejected, and ignored the child, friendship quantity, and friendship quality were peer problem indicators. Results suggested that children with comorbid internalizing disorders, fewer friendships, or potentially more negative friendship quality, reported more loneliness. Gender appeared to moderate the association between peer rejection and loneliness, such that boys with peer rejection reported more loneliness than girls. Clinical implications include targeting loneliness as a social-emotional problem to assess and treat in children with ADHD.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the participating families and the great investment from study staff members (including collaborators and many graduate and undergraduate students) who made this research possible.

Funding

This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Sophie Smit & Amori Yee Mikami

  2. Department of Psychology, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada

    Sébastien Normand

  3. Hôpital Montfort & Institut du Savoir Montfort, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Sébastien Normand

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  1. Sophie Smit
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  2. Amori Yee Mikami
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  3. Sébastien Normand
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Correspondence to Sophie Smit.

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Smit, S., Mikami, A.Y. & Normand, S. Correlates of Loneliness in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Comorbidities and Peer Problems. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 51, 478–489 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-020-00959-w

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