Examining the structural equation modeling between intrinsic-motivation, emotion regulation and AHDH: the mediating role of problem-solving, time-management, and behavioral-inhibition

Although Executive Functions has been considered as the main correlation of ADHD few studies have examined the effect of EFs on ADHD symptoms, in the samples with ADHD. This study aimed to examine the structure of EFs on ADHD students in a hypothesized model. After careful screening of ADHD among 1368 university students (with stratified and multistage cluster sampling), out of them, 211 students with ADHD diagnosis were selected purposefully. They received scales on their emotion regulation, motivation, adult ADHD, deficits in EFs, and diagnostic interview. Emotion regulation and intrinsic motivation were considered as input; behavioral-inhibition, time-management, and problem-solving were the mediators and ADHD subscales were as the output variables. Results showed that the model adequately fit the data. The model fit indices were chi 2 = 27.081, df = 1, CFI = 0.99, GFI = 0.97, and PGFI = 0.02. The direct effects of intrinsic-motivation and emotion-regulation on all three mediators and indirect effects of them to ADHD subscales were significant. Based on the results, time-management mediated the relationship between motivation and emotion regulation and ADHD. Among EFs, emotion-regulation and intrinsic-motivation had fundamental influence to other aspects of EFs factors such as behavioral-inhibition, time-management, problem-solving, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Automated summary

Although executive functions have been considered the main correlation of ADHD, few studies have examined the impact of EFs on ADHD symptoms in ADHD samples. This study aimed to examine the structure of EFs on ADHD students in a hypothetical model. After careful screening, 211 university students diagnosed with ADHD were selected. The results showed that emotion regulation and intrinsic motivation had significant direct and indirect effects on ADHD subscales, with time management mediating the relationship between motivation, emotion regulation, and ADHD.