Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms Among Students Attending Higher Educational Institution: A Cross-Sectional Study

A complicated and clinically varied illness known as ADHD (“Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder”) leads to poor academic and professional outcomes, family stress, and financial difficulty. Worldwide, children and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are likely to suffer from all problems. ADHD are neurodevelopmental diseases that impact impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. Basic academic skills like reading and arithmetic have been connected to visual search and sustained visual attention.

The prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms among students aged 17 to 23 in higher education institutions in Punjab, India, was investigated through a cross-sectional quantitative survey conducted from May to September 2023.. An online form was used to create the ADHD self-report scale (v1.1). This questionnaire was divided into 3-part inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The responses were categorized into five levels: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, and Very Often. This Questionnaire was distributed to students from higher educational institutes, and data was collected.

The total 360 student data were analyzed using SPSS 20. As the age increased, ADHD symptoms were reduced, inattention was most symptomatic in 18 and 19 years,` and hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms had high scores in the 23 years age category. Out of the participants, 228 were female and 132 were male. Female students exhibited more symptoms of inattention (37.7%), while male students showed higher symptoms of hyperactivity (39.4%) and impulsivity (31.8%). Most students reported experiencing symptoms 'sometimes,' with responses indicating 'often' or 'very often' being rare across all three categories. This suggests that many respondents experience ADHD-related symptoms. Factors such as the number of siblings, family type, parents’ education level, and living arrangements did not impact the prevalence of ADHD symptoms.

The prevalence rate of ADHD symptoms among north Indian higher educational institutes was 23.3%. Among these ADHD-symptomatic students, inattention was 35%, hyperactivity 39.2%, and Impulsivity 26.9%, respectively.