Drawing from positive psychology, this study explored correlations between psychological capital (PsyCap), self-esteem, and subjective well-being (SWB), differences in these constructs between university students with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the impact of pharmacological treatment on these variables in the ADHD group, and self-esteem's possible mediation of relations between PsyCap and SWB. A total of 167 university students participated, including 65 with ADHD, 54% of whom received pharmacological treatment. Participants completed validated instruments assessing PsyCap, self-esteem, and SWB. Results revealed significant positive correlations among constructs across the full sample and within subgroups. Students with ADHD reported significantly lower PsyCap and SWB, but no differences in self-esteem. Within the ADHD group, those receiving pharmacological treatment had significantly lower levels of PsyCap and self-esteem than those not receiving treatment, but there were no differences in SWB. Mediation analysis confirmed self-esteem significantly mediated relations between PsyCap and SWB, highlighting the psychological mechanism by which internal strengths contribute to well-being. These findings suggest targeted interventions to enhance PsyCap as promising avenues for improving well-being. The study contributes to the growing literature on resilience and psychological strengths in neurodiverse populations, while calling for longitudinal and intervention-based research to explore these dynamics.
Hazan‐Liran et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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