Financial literacy and gambling-related risk in adult ADHD: a decision-making perspective

Abstract Gambling-related risk represents a financially consequential form of risk-taking and may be particularly relevant in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This cross-sectional study examined associations among ADHD symptom severity, financial literacy, and gambling-related risk in 83 adults with clinically diagnosed ADHD who had not yet started methylphenidate treatment. Financial literacy was assessed using basic financial literacy questions, gambling-related risk with the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS), and ADHD symptoms with the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). Structural equation modeling showed that higher financial literacy was associated with lower gambling-related risk in the Maximum Likelihood estimation, although this association was not statistically significant in the bootstrap analysis. ADHD symptom severity was not directly associated with either gambling-related risk or financial literacy. Gender was associated with ASRS, financial literacy, and SOGS scores in both the Maximum Likelihood and bootstrap analyses. These findings suggest that financial literacy may be a relevant correlate of gambling-related risk among adults with ADHD, while ADHD symptom severity alone may not account for individual differences in gambling-related risk. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to clarify these associations and their underlying mechanisms.