A Scoping Review of Factors Associated With Emotional Dysregulation in Adults With ADHD

Objective: Emotion dysregulation is frequently seen in adults with ADHD and is associated with many adverse outcomes. We conducted a scoping review of factors associated with emotion dysregulation in adults with ADHD. Method: PubMed and PsycInfo (EBSCO) were searched. Articles were included if they measured ADHD, emotional dysregulation or some aspect of emotional dysregulation, and at least one other construct. Studies examining physiological underpinnings as well as clinical trials examining the effect of ADHD medications on emotional dysregulation were excluded because recent reviews have already examined these topics. Results: Thirty-five studies were included in the review. Factors such as biological sex, comorbidities, attachment style, using certain emotional regulation strategies, and ADHD subtype tend to be related to emotion dysregulation. Conclusion: Clinicians working with adults with ADHD can collect information on these factors to better understand risk for emotion dysregulation, and emotion regulation skills may be one area for intervention.