The longitudinal relation between adolescents’ learning outcomes and internalizing symptoms: the role of ADHD symptoms

Abstract

Objective The literature on bivariate relations between learning outcomes and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and ADHD is extensive. Much less research has been done into the trivariate longitudinal relations between learning outcomes, internalizing symptoms, and ADHD symptoms, which was the focus of the current study. Method The sample from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD-) Study was largely representative for the US population in terms of, i.e., race and ethnicity and included 11,867 children aged 9 or 10 years (47.8% female; 52.2% male) at the start. Results The results of bi- and trivariate latent change score modelling with four timepoints showed that school records and symptoms of anxiety or depression were related, but school records did not predict these symptoms at the next timepoint, nor the other way around. ADHD was associated with both school records and symptoms of anxiety/ depression. Depression symptoms were a negative leading indicator of subsequent changes in ADHD. Conclusions The results suggest that ADHD symptoms do not form the main explanatory factor for the relation between school records and internalizing symptoms. They imply that it is important to recognize signs of depression at an early stage, so that such secondary problems can be prevented. Future research is needed to find underlying risk factors that can explain comorbidity, which can help identifying children with increased risk at an early stage.