Research examines links between friendship difficulties, ADHD and depression

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to struggle with friendships than children without ADHD. These friendship difficulties may account for part of the link between ADHD and subsequent depression risk.

Researchers from the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health have undertaken work to understand the impact on a young person’s friendships, as the types of friendship difficulties that might contribute to the association between ADHD and depression are not clear. The researchers also considered whether other important relationships in the child’s life, such as the relationship with their parents, can compensate for some of the potential adverse effects of friendship difficulties.

Dr Victoria Powell, who led the work, said: “We looked at over 1,700 young people between the ages of 11-12 years old in a UK secondary schools study. Three key features of friendship were assessed – whether the child had friends, the quality of friendships, and the characteristics of the children in the child’s friendship group.

“We tested whether these features of friendship mediated, or contributed to, the association between teacher-rated ADHD symptoms and self-rated depression symptoms seven months later. We also tested whether the quality of the parent-child relationship alleviated against any effects of friendship difficulties.”

The research found that ADHD symptoms were associated with having fewer friends, poorer quality friendships, and being friends with more disruptive and less cooperative individuals. Having fewer friends and poorer quality friendships were both associated with increased depression symptoms.

Friendship quality acted as a mediator of the association between ADHD and depression symptoms, whereby ADHD symptoms were associated with poorer friendship quality, which in turn was associated with increased depression symptoms.

There was also evidence that when the child reported a warmer relationship with their parents, this slightly lessened some of this adverse impact of poor friendship quality.

Dr Powell concluded: "Interventions focussed on fostering good quality relationships with friends and parents may help to disrupt the link between ADHD and depression.”

The study “Investigating friendship difficulties in the pathway from ADHD to depressive symptoms. Can parent-child relationships compensate?” is available to view online.