Age-related cognitive complaints and emotional difficulties associated with symptoms of ADHD: a study of gender differences

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for suboptimal cognitive and emotional aging. Due to menopause, women may be more vulnerable to these outcomes than men. This study quantifies age-related changes in the association between self-reported ADHD symptoms and cognitive and emotional complaints, comparing men and women. METHODS: Participants were 118 community adults aged 19-79 years (78.0% women). Most had a self-reported ADHD diagnosis (71.2%) or clinically significant ADHD symptoms (78.0%). All completed the self-report Connors Adult ADHD Rating Scale, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scales and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Gender-stratified general linear models predicted cognitive and emotional difficulties from ADHD symptoms, testing age as a moderator. RESULTS: ADHD symptoms showed moderate to strong correlations with all cognitive (.39 < r < .68) and emotional outcomes (.21 < r < .64). In men, the association between ADHD symptoms and cognitive (B = -0.009, p = .021, η p ² = .23) and emotional impulsivity (B = -0.017, p = .012, η p ² = .28) was less pronounced in older than younger participants. Theses patterns were not observed in women. In older women, the association between ADHD symptoms and self-reported cognitive failures was slightly weaker than in younger women (B = -0.017, p = .030, η p ² = .05). Although this interaction was not statistically significant in men, the effect was of similar medium-sized magnitude (η p ² = .08). All associations survived adjustments for depression and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Some cognitive and emotional difficulties associated with ADHD symptoms were worse in younger than in older men, but age moderation was not observed in women. The cross-sectional design precludes any conclusions about causality, and it is possible that these results may be explained by greater self-disclosure in women than in men. Results are also interpreted cautiously in the context of relatively small sample size. Altogether, results support the need for a gender-specific lens when considering the lifespan impacts of ADHD symptoms and point to women as a potentially vulnerable segment of the ADHD population regarding cognitive and emotional aging.