ADHD and Academic Success in University Students: The Important Role of Impaired Attention
Colin T. Henning, Laura J. Summerfeldt, James D. A. Parker · 2021 · 94 citationsRead the paper
OBJECTIVE: To improve on several methodological issues regarding current literature investigating the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and academic success in adults and examine the relative contributions of specific dimensions of ADHD symptomatology (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity) to post-secondary academic success. METHOD: A large sample of 3,688 post-secondary students were examined using a longitudinal design. The Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) was used to assess adult ADHD symptoms and academic success was assessed using students' official academic records (e.g., final GPAs and degree completion status). RESULTS: Students with greater inattention symptomatology at the start of their academic program showed consistently poorer long-term academic success (i.e., lower GPAs, higher dropout rates), regardless of gender. CONCLUSION: Inattention symptoms are the primary driver of the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and academic underachievement in adults. Post-secondary education institutions should target and prioritize educational programming for inattention symptoms of ADHD in at-risk post-secondary students.
What the full text shows
Tested in real conditions- Inattention symptoms are the primary driver of academic underachievement, significantly predicting both lower final GPAs and higher dropout rates regardless of gender. — d = 0.10 for graduation status; parameter -0.16 to -0.17 for final GPA (Post-secondary students aged 18-25)
- Students who withdrew before completing their degrees had significantly greater inattention symptoms compared to those who graduated. — Significant difference (d = 0.10) (Comparison between graduates and dropouts)
- Hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms were not significant predictors of degree completion or final GPA. (Post-secondary students aged 18-25)
- Total ADHD symptomatology is a modest predictor of lower final GPAs for both men and women. — Parameter -0.14 to -0.21 (Students who successfully completed their degrees)
- Men exhibited higher levels of inattention and impulsivity symptoms than women. (First-year undergraduate students)
- Setup
- 3,688 first-year undergraduate students (1,024 men, 2,664 women) aged 18-25 from a small liberal arts university in Central Ontario.
- How
- A longitudinal study using the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) to assess symptoms at orientation and matching them to official academic records six years later. Data were analyzed using mixed ANOVA and structural equation modeling (SEM) with ADFG estimation.
- Limitations
- Reliance on self-reported ADHD symptoms (subject to response bias). · Use of a non-clinical sample rather than students with a formal ADHD diagnosis. · Did not control for anxiety, depression, learning disorders, substance use, or IQ. · CAARS measure based on DSM-IV rather than DSM-5 criteria.
Summarized by Gemma 4 from the open-access full text · 13 Oct 2026. Read it