What dimensions of school climate promote adaptive functioning in adolescents with ADHD? A prospective longitudinal study.
Elizabeth S M Chan, Cathrin D Green, Melissa R Dvorsky and 3 others
PMID 39787777WHAT IT FOUND
Fair but strict school rules were the strongest predictor of better emotional and social outcomes for adolescents with ADHD symptoms.
Respectful teacher-student relationships also helped. However, school climate had no association with GPA.
Key findings
01Higher levels of disciplinary structure predicted lower internalizing symptoms and emotion dysregulation, and this finding remained significant after statistical correction for multiple testing.
02At high levels of disciplinary structure, the link between ADHD symptom severity and internalizing symptoms became non-significant, suggesting fair rules may protect against emotional distress in this group.
03School climate dimensions showed no significant association with GPA.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample was predominantly White and from higher-income families, which may limit how well the results apply to other populations. School climate was measured by student self-report, which can be subjective and prone to error. The study did not examine peer-related aspects of school climate, which are important for students with ADHD. ADHD symptoms were treated as a continuous variable rather than comparing distinct diagnostic groups. Several significant findings, including those for homework, motivation, and friendships, did not remain significant after statistical correction for multiple testing.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving school climate will raise grades. The study found no significant association between any dimension of school climate and GPA.