Adhd and relationships
Pro Research Analysisby 
Searched over 200M research papers
ADHD and Relationships: Impact and Interventions
Teacher-Student Relationships and ADHD
Emotional Closeness and Conflict
Students with ADHD often experience less emotional closeness and more conflict in their relationships with teachers compared to their non-ADHD peers. Teachers report feeling less cooperation and more rejection towards students with ADHD, which can lead to school failure, peer exclusion, and low self-esteem 1. This dynamic underscores the importance of fostering positive teacher-student relationships to mitigate these adverse outcomes.
School Engagement
ADHD symptoms negatively impact children's emotional engagement with school. This relationship is partially mediated by student-teacher conflict, suggesting that reducing conflict can enhance school engagement and improve long-term academic and social outcomes for students with ADHD 4.
Peer Relationships and ADHD
Peer Problems and Rejection
Children with ADHD are more likely to face peer problems, including rejection and victimization. These difficulties can lead to lower friendship quality and sociometric status, contributing to internalized distress and academic issues 8. Interventions focusing on social skills and peer functioning are crucial to address these challenges 26.
Social Skills Interventions
Current interventions for improving peer relationships in youth with ADHD include social skills training and friendship programs. These interventions aim to address specific social deficits and improve peer functioning, although more intensive and novel approaches are needed to achieve significant improvements 26.
Romantic Relationships and ADHD
Relationship Difficulties
Adults with ADHD often struggle with romantic relationships due to symptoms like hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness. These challenges can lead to higher rates of divorce and relationship discord compared to adults without ADHD 35. Emotional lability, a common dimension of adult ADHD, further complicates these relationships.
Therapeutic Interventions
Integrative couples therapy and Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) have shown promise in helping couples where one partner has ADHD. These therapies focus on improving communication, reducing reactivity, and fostering understanding, which can strengthen relationships and enhance quality of life 37.
Family Dynamics and ADHD
Parenting Challenges
Families with children who have ADHD often experience greater stress, higher rates of parental psychopathology, and conflicted parent-child relationships. These dynamics can exacerbate the child's symptoms and lead to additional comorbidities and functional impairments 9. Effective parenting strategies and family interventions are essential to support these families and improve outcomes for children with ADHD.
Socio-Economic Factors
Household socio-economic status (SES) is inversely related to ADHD prevalence. Factors such as family adversity, parental ADHD symptoms, and home learning environments play a role in this relationship. Addressing these mediating factors through targeted interventions can help mitigate the impact of low SES on ADHD development 10.
Conclusion
ADHD significantly impacts various types of relationships, from teacher-student and peer interactions to romantic and family dynamics. Addressing these challenges through targeted interventions, such as social skills training, therapeutic approaches, and supportive parenting strategies, can improve relationship outcomes and overall quality of life for individuals with ADHD. Continued research and innovative approaches are necessary to further understand and mitigate the relational difficulties associated with ADHD.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
ADHD symptoms and the teacher–student relationship: a systematic literature review
Students with ADHD generally feel less close to their teachers, leading to less emotional closeness, less co-operation, and more conflicts in their relationship.
Systematic Review
Highly CitedA Review of Peer Relationships and Friendships in Youth With ADHD
Youth with ADHD face challenges in peer relationships and social skills, and current interventions should focus on improving these relationships and friendships.
Systematic Review
Rigorous JournalHighly CitedEffects of adult ADHD on intimate partnerships
Adult ADHD can cause relationship difficulties and increase the likelihood of divorce, but there are also positive aspects for individuals and partnerships.
Systematic ReviewADHD and emotional engagement with school in the primary years: Investigating the role of student-teacher relationships.
ADHD symptoms negatively impact children's emotional engagement with school, partially mediated by student-teacher conflict, suggesting interventions aimed at reducing conflict may improve school engagement.
Observational StudyAdult ADHD and romantic relationships: What we know and what we can do to help.
Adults with ADHD tend to have short-lived and discordant romantic relationships, and identifying factors that increase distress can help prevent and intervene in relational difficulties.
Literature ReviewPeer functioning in children with ADHD.
Children with ADHD experience problematic peer relationships, highlighting the need for more intensive interventions and novel approaches to address these issues.
Highly CitedADHD couple and family relationships: enhancing communication and understanding through Imago Relationship Therapy.
Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) can improve communication and understanding in ADHD couples and families by promoting stronger listening skills, better self-control, and problem-solving.
Peer Relationship Difficulties among Children with Adhd: A Systematic Review
Children with ADHD are more likely to experience peer problems and be rejected or victimized by peers, but hyperactivity-impulsivity may act as a protective factor in these relationships when other psychopathology symptoms are controlled.
Systematic ReviewA Systematic Review of Parenting in Relation to the Development of Comorbidities and Functional Impairments in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is associated with problematic family functioning, increased stress, and conflicted parent-child relationships, potentially impacting children's development and comorbidities.
Systematic ReviewHighly CitedFactors that mediate the relationships between household socio-economic status and childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents: A systematic review
Higher household socio-economic status is associated with fewer childhood ADHD cases, but factors like family adversity, maternal ADHD symptoms, and home learning environment may play a role in mediating this relationship.
Systematic ReviewRigorous Journal