The Severity and Frequency of Self-Reported Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Psychology University Students Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study measured the severity and frequency of self-reported symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Psychology students in a Dutch university before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing insights into how this population navigated the challenges of emerging adulthood amidst a global crisis. In total, 1446 first-year Psychology students in a Dutch university were recruited in four cohorts: 2018 (n = 404), 2019 (n = 277), 2020 (n = 350), and 2021 (n = 415). The cohorts in 2020 and 2021 were recruited during the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses on the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) Long Form were collected. For each cohort, scale scores were calculated, as well as frequencies of students screening positive for elevated ADHD symptoms. The proportion of participants screening positive for elevated ADHD symptoms was 21%, which did not significantly differ between cohorts (p = 0.076) and gender (p = 0.206). Subscale scores were indicative of a small increase in inattention symptoms with increasing duration of the pandemic from cohort 2018 to 2021. Small gender differences were found on the subscales. Roughly one in five first-year Psychology students in university screens positive for elevated ADHD symptoms. This pattern is stable across men and women and across four cohorts of students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inattention symptoms slightly increased with increasing duration of the pandemic in cohort 2021.