Differentiating Symptoms of ADHD in Preschoolers: The Role of Emotion Regulation and Executive Function.

Objective

This study examined the extent to which individual differences in executive function (EF) and emotion regulation (ER) were uniquely associated with inattention and hyperactivity symptoms of ADHD, respectively. Method: Participants included 249 preschool children with at-risk or clinically elevated levels of externalizing behavior problems (EBPs).

Results

Regression analyses were conducted examining the association between EF and ER-as reported by parents/teachers and assessed via child task performance-and hyperactivity and inattention. Even after accounting for IQ, age, sex, and severity of oppositional defiant disorder, greater levels of parent/teacher-reported EF problems and worse EF performance were associated with greater inattention. In addition, better observed ER was associated with lower inattention. Conversely, greater levels of parent/teacher-reported EF problems and worse parent/teacher-reported ER were associated with greater hyperactivity.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that underlying deficits in EF and ER do differentially relate to ADHD symptoms.