A Pilot Study of the Impact of Stimulant Pharmacotherapy in College Students with ADHD on Alexithymia and Psychological Mindedness

Objective: Alexithymia is increasingly recognized in a number of psychiatric disorders, but a possible relationship between alexithymia and adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not been studied. It is not known if psychostimulants decrease symptoms of both ADHD and alexithymia. This relationship is examined in a small naturalistic and longitudinal study. Participants: Ten consecutive stimulant-naïve college students seek assessment and treatment for ADHD during the academic year. Method: Participants completed three self-report instruments quantifying ADHD symptomatology, alexithymia, and psychological mindedness prior to initiation of stimulant pharmacotherapy and after three and six months of medication treatment without formal psychotherapy. Results: ADHD symptoms decreased significantly from baseline to three months and remained low at six months. Decreases in alexithymia and increases in psychological mindedness changed more slowly, with significant differences occurring at six months compared to baseline. Conclusions: This study suggests that stimulant pharmacotherapy in college students with ADHD decreases ADHD symptoms and alexithymia while increasing psychological mindedness. These results have implications for untreated adult ADHD patients seeking psychotherapy.