Severity of Symptoms and Quality of Life in Medical Students With ADHD

Objective: In this study, the authors examined the severity of ADHD symptoms and related quality of life in 1st and 2nd year medical students diagnosed with ADHD. Method: The sample consists of 33 preclinical medical students previously diagnosed with ADHD. The Adult ADHD Quality of Life Scale (AAQoL) and Adult ADHD Self-Reported Checklist were administered. Results: Participants' ADHD-related quality of life and life productivity were negatively correlated with the severity of their ADHD symptoms. Students receiving academic accommodations reported significantly higher ADHD symptoms. The presence of a comorbid condition contributed to significantly lower psychological health scores. Unexpectedly, women had significantly lower quality of life (AAQoL total score) and significantly lower psychological health scores than men. Conclusion: Since the majority of the sample reported severe ADHD symptoms while receiving medication treatment, the authors have concluded that it is important to develop psychosocial treatments to manage the associated distress from residual symptoms in medical students with ADHD.