Emotion regulation in adolescent males with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: testing the effects of comorbid conduct disorder

Northover, Clare, Thapar, Anita ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3689-737X, Langley, Kate ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2033-2657 and van Goozen, Stephanie Helena Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5983-4734 2015. Emotion regulation in adolescent males with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: testing the effects of comorbid conduct disorder. Brain Sciences 5 (3) , pp. 369-386. 10.3390/brainsci5030369

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Abstract

Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to emotion dysregulation, few studies have experimentally investigated this whilst controlling for the effects of comorbid conduct disorder (CD). Economic decision-making games that assess how individuals respond to offers varying in fairness have been used to study emotion regulation. The present study compared adolescent boys with ADHD (n = 90), ADHD + CD (n = 94) and typical controls (n = 47) on the Ultimatum Game and examined the contribution of ADHD and CD symptom scores and callous and unemotional traits to acceptance levels of unfair offers. There were no significant differences in acceptance rates of fair and highly unfair offers between groups, and only boys with ADHD did not significantly differ from the controls. However, the subgroup of boys with ADHD and additional high levels of aggressive CD symptoms rejected significantly more ambiguous (i.e., moderately unfair) offers than any other subgroup, suggesting impaired emotion regulation in those with ADHD and aggressive CD. Correlations within the CD group showed that the rejection rate to moderately unfair offers was predicted by aggressive CD symptom severity, but not callous and unemotional traits. These findings highlight the fact that ADHD is a heterogeneous condition from an emotion regulation point of view.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (CNGG) Medicine Psychology Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Publisher:	MDPI
ISSN:	2076-3425
Funders:	MRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Date of Acceptance:	25 August 2015
Last Modified:	05 May 2023 04:56
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/76770

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