Study explores link between negative career thoughts and parental relationships in adolescents with ADHD

A new study published in The Career Development Quarterly looked for potential links between negative or dysfunctional career thoughts and the quality of parental relationships in high school students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In the study of 102 adolescents (76 boys, 26 girls) with ADHD, male participants' dysfunctional career thoughts were related to their relationships with their mothers. Those who had positive relationships with their mothers exhibited less external conflict about their career choices.

The findings may be useful for career counselors as they consider the influence of family relationships on the career choices of adolescents with ADHD. Future research should incorporate the influence of gender and race/ethnicity on such relationships and also focus on paternal relationships.

My collaborators and I are very excited about the findings and the implications of this study. We hope they spur more research to understand how dysfunctional career thoughts develop in relational contexts and aid in evidence-based, contextually driven relational interventions."

Lead Author Abiola Dipeolu, PhD, Texas A&M University, Kingsville