Mental health correlates of autistic and ADHD traits in secondary school students

Garcha, Japnoor, Smith, Andrew P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8805-8028 and James, Arwel 2025. Mental health correlates of autistic and ADHD traits in secondary school students. Brain Sciences 15 (6) , 609. 10.3390/brainsci15060609

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Abstract

Background: Recent research has examined the associations between autistic traits and the well-being of students. This research has also included measures of ADHD and mental health. Methods: To understand the association and interaction of well-being and mental health with autistic traits (AQ) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits, a survey was given to 578 secondary school students. The survey used the well-being process questionnaire (WPQ), the autism spectrum quotient, the ADHD self-report scale, and the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). Results: The analysis conducted using SPSS showed that there was a significant correlation between anxiety, depression, AQ, and ADHD. Anxiety and depression were also significantly correlated with all well-being and SDQ variables. The regression analysis, including psychosocial predictors of well-being, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and AQ, showed that anxiety and depression were strongly associated with well-being outcomes. In contrast, AQ and ADHD were associated with hyperactivity, peer problems, and reduced prosocial behaviour. The associations between anxiety, depression, and well-being outcomes were stronger than with either AQ or ADHD. Conclusions: This study extends previous research from university samples to a secondary school sample. This shows the importance of investigating associations between subclinical traits and psychological symptoms in early adolescence, as this will lead to better-informed prevention and early intervention strategies.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Psychology
Publisher:	MDPI
ISSN:	2076-3425
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 June 2025
Date of Acceptance:	30 May 2025
Last Modified:	19 Jun 2025 09:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/178953

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