ADHD and political participation: An observational study
- PMID: 36809259
- PMCID: PMC9942958
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280445
ADHD and political participation: An observational study
Abstract
Background and objective: Over the past decade, researchers have been seeking to understand the consequences of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for different types of everyday behaviors. In this study, we investigated the associations between ADHD and political participation and attitudes, as ADHD may impede their active participation in the polity.
Methods: This observational study used data from an online panel studying the adult Jewish population in Israel, collected prior the national elections of April 2019 (N = 1369). ADHD symptoms were assessed using the 6-item Adult ADHD Self-Report (ASRS-6). Political participation (traditional and digital), news consumption habits, and attitudinal measures were assessed using structured questionnaires. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze the association between ADHD symptoms (ASRS score <17) and reported political participation and attitudes.
Results: 200 respondents (14.6%) screened positive for ADHD based on the ASRS-6. Our findings show that individuals with ADHD are more likely to participate in politics than individuals without ADHD symptoms (B = 0.303, SE = 0.10, p = .003). However, participants with ADHD are more likely to be passive consumers of news, waiting for current political news to reach them instead of actively searching for it (B = 0.172, SE = 0.60, p = .004). They are also more prone to support the idea of silencing other opinions (B = 0.226, SE = 0.10, p = .029). The findings hold when controlling for age, sex, level of education, income, political orientation, religiosity, and stimulant therapy for ADHD symptoms.
Conclusions: Overall, we find evidence that individuals with ADHD display a unique pattern of political activity, including greater participation and less tolerance of others' views, but not necessarily showing greater active interest in politics. Our findings add to a growing body of literature that examines the impact of ADHD on different types of everyday behaviors.
Copyright: © 2023 Waismel-Manor et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Figures


Similar articles
-
Self-reported restless legs syndrome and involuntary leg movements during sleep are associated with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.Sleep Med. 2019 May;57:115-121. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.01.039. Epub 2019 Feb 11. Sleep Med. 2019. PMID: 30954788
-
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adults with self-reported epilepsy: Results from a national epidemiologic survey of epilepsy.Epilepsia. 2015 Feb;56(2):218-24. doi: 10.1111/epi.12897. Epub 2015 Jan 15. Epilepsia. 2015. PMID: 25594106
-
Screening for adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in alcohol dependent patients: Underreporting of ADHD symptoms in self-report scales.Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019 Feb 1;195:52-58. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.11.020. Epub 2018 Dec 10. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2019. PMID: 30583265
-
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, other mental health problems, substance use, and driving: examination of a population-based, representative canadian sample.Traffic Inj Prev. 2014;15 Suppl 1:S1-9. doi: 10.1080/15389588.2014.926341. Traffic Inj Prev. 2014. PMID: 25307372
-
How Informative Are Self-Reported Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms? An Examination of the Agreement Between the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale V1.1 and Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Investigator Symptom Rating Scale.J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2018 Jun;28(5):339-349. doi: 10.1089/cap.2017.0082. Epub 2017 Nov 27. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2018. PMID: 29172673
References
-
- Uchida M, Spencer TJ, Faraone SV, et al.. Adult outcome of ADHD: an overview of results from the MGH longitudinal family studies of pediatrically and psychiatrically referred youth with and without ADHD of both sexes. J Atten Disord. 2018; 22(6); 523–534. doi: 10.1177/1087054715604360 - DOI - PubMed
-
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous