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. 2022 Oct 3;12(10):1336.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci12101336.

The Link between ADHD Symptoms and Antisocial Behavior: The Moderating Role of the Protective Factor Sense of Coherence

Haym Dayan  1 , Mona Khoury-Kassabri  1 , Yehuda Pollak  2
Affiliations

The Link between ADHD Symptoms and Antisocial Behavior: The Moderating Role of the Protective Factor Sense of Coherence

Haym Dayan et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Numerous studies have established the link between ADHD and antisocial behavior, one of the most serious functional impairments caused by the disorder. However, research on protective factors that mitigate this link is still lacking. The Salutogenic Model of Health offers the “Sense of Coherence” (SOC), establishing that individuals who see their lives as logical, meaningful, and manageable are more resistant to various risk factors and diseases. The present study examines for the first time whether SOC is also a protective factor against different ADHD-related types of antisocial behaviors (severe/mild violent behavior, verbal violence, property crimes, public disorder, and drug abuse). A total of 3180 participants aged 15−50 completed online questionnaires assessing the level of ADHD symptoms, antisocial behaviors, and SOC. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the research hypothesis. An interaction between ADHD symptoms and SOC was found in predicting each type of antisocial behavior (beta = −0.06−−0.17, p < 0.01). The link between ADHD symptoms and antisocial behavior was significantly weaker for high than low SOC participants, regardless of age group. The current study found that people with high SOC are protected against the effect of ADHD symptoms on one of the most serious functional impairments, antisocial behavior. These findings suggest that SOC is a protective factor from the adverse effects of ADHD symptoms, justifying further prospective and intervention studies.

Keywords: ADHD; antisocial behavior; protective factors; sense of coherence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The association between ADHD symptoms and severe physical antisocial behavior as moderated by coherence.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The association between ADHD symptoms and mild physical antisocial behavior as moderated by coherence.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The association between ADHD symptoms and verbal antisocial behavior as moderated by coherence.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The association between ADHD symptoms and property crimes as moderated by coherence.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The association between ADHD symptoms and public order crimes as moderated by coherence.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The association between ADHD symptoms and drug use as moderated by coherence.
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