GENDER DIFFERENCES IN EMOTIONAL REGULATION AMONG ADOLESCENTS WITH ELEVATED ADHD SYMPTOMS: A SCHOOL-BASED STUDY.

Résumé

BACKGROUND: Executive function deficits are consistently associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet the expression of specific executive domains may differ across genders. Emotional regulation difficulties have been increasingly recognized as an important component of ADHD, particularly among adolescent girls, although evidence from large community-based samples remains limited.OBJECTIVE: This study examined gender differences across executive function domains in adolescents, with particular emphasis on emotional regulation among those with elevated ADHD symptoms.METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,260 adolescents aged 11-18 years. Executive functioning was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Self Report (BRIEF-SR), and ADHD symptoms were measured with the Youth Self Report (YSR). Participants scoring in the clinical range on the YSR Attention Problems scale were classified as the high ADHD symptom group. A subsample underwent neurocognitive testing using the Stroop Color-Word Test and the Go/No-Go task. Group comparisons, correlational analyses, and interaction models were used to examine executive function domains and the influence of gender.RESULTS: ADHD symptoms were strongly associated with global executive dysfunction (r=0.703, p