Anxiety in college students With ADHD: relationship to cognitive functioning.

OBJECTIVE This study sought to explore how anxiety impacts college students with ADHD, especially with regard to cognitive functioning. METHOD 473 college students with ADHD and a control group of 200 college students without ADHD completed self-report measures of anxiety, ADHD symptomatology and tests of cognitive functioning. RESULTS Students with ADHD reported significantly more anxiety than students without ADHD. Within the ADHD group, the relationship between anxiety and inattention was similar to the relationship between anxiety and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Students with ADHD reported more anxiety with regard to academics compared to life-in-general. There were no gender differences for anxiety; however, freshman indicated more anxiety than upper-classmen. Anxiety and inattention were found to interact such that students with low levels of inattention but high levels of anxiety performed better on tasks of cognitive ability. CONCLUSION Anxiety in college students with ADHD can take many forms, and interventions require a multi-focused approach. There may be some positive aspects to anxiety.