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One in two adolescents with ADHD have trouble managing emotions, finds study – ET HealthWorld

New Delhi: One in two teens has the ability to pay attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder People with ADHD may have trouble regulating their emotions, which can come in the form of explosive outbursts, depression or anxiety, according to a new study. People with ADHD tend to have a short attention span, as well as hyperactivity, or restlessness and impulsivity. neurodevelopmental disordersIt is most commonly diagnosed in children and teens, but it can continue into adulthood.

It is known that people with ADHD have problems with self-control, which affects their ability to regulate and manage their emotions.

While these problems Emotion regulation These symptoms are thought to be caused by ADHD symptoms, which affect a person’s motivation and thinking ability (cognition), but researchers show that such people may have trouble managing their emotions despite those symptoms.

Team of researchers University of CambridgeUK, and Fudan UniversityA study conducted in China also found strong evidence that high levels of emotion regulation increase the likelihood of developing ADHD symptoms. These findings are published in the journal nature mental health,

“Parents and teachers often say that they have problems controlling children with ADHD, and it may be that when children cannot express themselves well – when they experience emotional difficulties – they are not able to control their feelings and lash out rather than communicate with a parent, teacher or other child,” said study author Barbara Sahakian, of the University of Cambridge.

For the study, researchers included data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which tracked the brain development and mental health of children and adolescents across the United States.

Researchers developed an ADHD-symptom score based on data available for more than 6,000 individuals from the ABCD study. The score reflected a person’s chances of having the disorder.

Within the group, the team also identified 350 participants who had high symptom scores and who met diagnostic criteria for ADHD.

By answering the questionnaire, parents or guardians had already provided information about how well their children coped or managed when upset, the researchers said. The responses were then evaluated to give participants a score based on their emotional disturbances.

The authors found that more than half (51 percent) of the people in the high-symptom group showed signs of emotion regulation, regardless of whether they had any problems with cognition and motivation.

Emotional instability was also found to be a strong risk factor for the development of ADHD symptoms.

Of all participants, children who showed low ADHD symptoms at ages 12 and 13 but high emotional dysregulation at age 13 were 2.85 times more likely to develop high ADHD symptoms at age 14, compared with children with low levels of distress. Managing emotionsThe team found it.

When examining brain imaging data, the researchers found that children with higher scores on ADHD symptoms and emotion dysregulation had smaller pars orbitalis, an area of ​​the brain that is important for ADHD symptoms. Understanding Emotions and controlling behaviour.

He said this finding could explain some of the behaviors seen in people with ADHD.

Acknowledging emotional imbalances as an important part of ADHD can help people better understand the problems the child is experiencing, and may help use effective treatments such as cognitive therapy for emotional regulation. Behavior TherapyResearchers said.

This may be especially important, he said, because Ritalin, a medication that helps manage ADHD symptoms, does not fully treat symptoms of emotion dysregulation.

The authors said identifying the problem earlier would allow for alternative, more effective interventions that could help the child better manage his or her emotions, potentially helping him or her as an adult.

  • Published on May 24, 2024 at 10:15 PM IST

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