Abstract / Summary
In addition to challenges explained by neurocognitive differences, young adults with ADHD alsoexperience challenges related to psychosocial processes. Heightened levels of rejectionsensitivity among young adults with ADHD symptoms may be explained by peer rejectionexperiences in adolescence. In the current study, which is part of the Nijmegen LongitudinalStudy, we examined among 116 young adults whether peer rejection experiences in adolescence(age 16) mediated the association between previous ADHD symptoms (age 12) and rejectionsensitivity (age 20). ADHD symptoms were not significantly associated with peer rejection (β =0.21, p = .200), which were also not associated with rejection sensitivity (β = 0.05, p = .747). Therewas no significant direct effect (β = -0.04, p = .817) or indirect effect (β = -0.01, BCa CI = [-0.02,0.09]) of ADHD symptoms on rejection sensitivity. The current study provided no evidence for anassociation of ADHD symptoms with rejection sensitivity, or a mediating role of peer rejection.