Self-Esteem in College Students with a Childhood History of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Differences in self-esteem between college students who indicated a childhood history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and college students in general were examined. Factors predictive of self-esteem among those college students who identified themselves as ADHD in childhood were also studied. Significant differences in self-esteem were found between the college students self-identified as ADHD and the general college population even when gender, SES, and aptitude test scores were taken into account. Self-esteem in college students who self-identified as ADHD was positively correlated with greater social skills and negatively correlated with current symptoms. Implications of these results are discussed.