Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Subsequent Trauma Exposure: The Role of Peer Deviancy

Individuals with ADHD symptoms are at an increased risk of lifetime trauma exposure. However, research has yet to examine specific mechanisms that may explain the association between symptoms of ADHD and experiencing traumatic events. One construct that may account for the relationship between ADHD symptoms and trauma is deviant peer association, given the risk symptoms of ADHD pose for comorbid deviant peer affiliation. Additionally, peer deviancy has been independently associated with a heightened risk for experiencing potentially traumatic events. However, no study (to our knowledge) has examined peer deviancy as a potential mechanism for the increased risk between ADHD symptoms and trauma exposure. The present study sought to examine whether peer deviancy mediates the relationship between childhood ADHD symptoms and subsequent trauma exposure across a 20-year longitudinal cohort study. Participants’ (N = 404) teachers completed the TOCA-R, which was used to derive a continuous measure of ADHD symptoms. A dichotomous variable was created to assess whether participants experienced a traumatic event between Wave 17 and Wave 20, as assessed via the DIS-IV. To measure deviant peer association, participants completed the Exposure to Deviant Peers self-report scale at Wave 16. Results indicated that ADHD symptoms in childhood were a significant predictor of deviant peer association in young adulthood and that deviant peer association in young adulthood was a significant predictor of young adult trauma exposure yet there was no direct relationship between ADHD symptoms and trauma exposure. Analyses revealed a significant indirect effect in that deviant peer associations mediated the relationship between childhood ADHD symptoms and trauma exposure in young adulthood. These results suggest that targeting peer deviancy in adolescents and young adults, especially in those with elevated ADHD symptoms, may be one strategy for reducing the risk of trauma exposure.