Are There Other University Students Like Me with ADHD? An ADHD Skills Workshop

Abstract: Post-secondary students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely than their non-ADHD counterparts to engage in poorer study habits, complete assignments late, receive lower grades, and withdraw from classes, and not likely to graduate than those without ADHD. One factor contributing to student success is sense of belonging to the institution they attend, as well as social and emotional adjustment. We investigated the effects of a six-week group psychosocial intervention, adapted from an adult ADHD cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) manual, among undergraduate students with ADHD symptoms. Five areas within sense of belonging (faculty support, empathetic faculty understanding, classroom comfort, peer support, and feelings of isolation) were measured pre-and-post-intervention to determine if the academic intervention promoted sense of belonging in each domain. Post-intervention, participants reported some changes in their sense of belonging, with significantly heightened perceived peer support and significantly lessened feelings of isolation. No differences were indicated in the remaining sense of belonging areas.