Abstract:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental syndrome characterised by behavioural manifestations such as impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity (Biederman, 2005). ADHD is common, with a global pooled prevalence of approximately 5.3% in children and adolescents (Polanczyk, et al., 2007) and 2.8% in adults (Fayyad et al., 2017). Bullying (defined as experiencing unwanted, intentional, repeated aggression over time that involves a power imbalance by one or more individuals (Gladden et al., 2014) is a serious public health problem that occurs more frequently in children with ADHD than in the general pediatric population. ADHD and engagement in bullying share an increased risk for a range of negative consequences, including disrupted peer relationships, poor academic performance (Grygiel et al., 2018), mental health disorders, and substance abuse (Craig & Pepler, 2003) underscoring the need for bullying prevention programs in this vulnerable population (Taylor et al., 2010). Several studies have shown a strong association between ADHD and depression in children. For example, one study found that children with ADHD were more than twice as likely to develop depression compared to children without ADHD (Banaschewski et al., 2017). Anxiety disorders are one of the most common comorbidities experienced by children with the disorder. There are epidemiological and clinical studies showing high rates of anxiety disorder comorbidity in both children and adolescents (de la Barra et al., 2013; Jarrett & Ollendick, 2008; Yüce et al., 2013) and adults (Kessler et al., 2006). There are longitudinal studies showing that rates of developing lifetime anxiety disorder were higher in children and adolescents with ADHD than in controls (Biederman et al., 2010; March et al., 2000). The present study examines the socialization of children with ADHD in the school environment and specifically the rate of their involvement in bullying phenomena, the way their friendships are formed and the extent to which anxiety affects their formation and in general the way these children function in the school environment. The sample consists of 50 children with a diagnosis of ADHD attending primary school in the Republic of Cyprus. A quantitative approach was chosen and four self-report questionnaires (Mesi Methodology, Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, Revised Peer Experience Scale, CDI depression scale) were given for completion. The results are currently being processed and will be presented at this conference.

Keywords:

ADHD, anxiety depression, friendships, bullying.