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Table 2 A compilation of included studies presenting study characteristics, data about personality scales (M, SD,) for ADHD and control subjects, and correlations between personality traits and ADHD

From: Adult ADHD and emerging models of maladaptive personality: a meta-analytic review

Author

ADHD N

Male (%)

Age M (SD)

Clinical recruitment

Control N

Male (%)

Age M (SD)

Control Group

Personality scale

ADHD M (SD)

Control M (SD)

Correlation trait - ADHD dx

He & Antschel (2019)

184

51

36.3 (10.8)

Psychiatric clinics

118

46

29.8 (8.7)

Community

TCI Harm Avoidance

60,0 (13,5)

52,78 (9,9)

.29

        

TCI Self-directedness

61,4 (13,9)

80,3 (9,3)

−.62

        

TCI Reward Dependence

67,2 (11,2)

72,0 (9,4)

−.23

        

TCI Self-transcendence

52,4 (16,5)

48,8 (16,3)

.11

        

TCI Novelty seeking

64,0 (9,7)

53,0 (7,2)

.54

        

TCI Persistence

63,3 (11,8)

72,9 (9,9)

−.40

        

TCI Cooperativeness

80,3 (9,2)

74,5 (11,0)

−.27

Wallace (2016) [49]

217

56

23.6 (4.7)

Psychiatric clinics and advertisements

114

50

22.2 (4.7)

Community

NEO FFI Neuroticism

28,5 (7,9)

21,50 (7,8)

.40

        

NEO-FFI Extraversion

28,8 (7,7)

29,5 (7,4)

−.05

        

NEO-FFI Openness to experience

33,6 (7,1)

31,9 (6,5)

.12

        

NEO-FFI Conscientiousness

16,1 (4,8)

20,4 (4,6)

−.42

        

NEO-FFI Agreeableness

31 (6,9)

32,9 (6,6)

−.14

Di Nicola (2014) [50]

16

No information

No information

Affective disorders unit

102

38a

47.4 (13.2)

BD

NEO-PI-R Neuroticism

140,5 (23,5)

112,0 (21,4)

.54

8

No information

No information

Affective disorders unit

106

40a

46.1 (14.3)

MDD

 

133,4 (22,9)

111,3 (22,8)

.44

       

BD

NEO-PI-R Extraversion

93,4 (25,0)

94,8 (21,5)

−.03;

       

MDD

 

82,3 (20,3)

93,1 (20,9)

−.25

       

BD

NEO-PI-R Openness

104,7 (21,3)

105,8 (20,7)

−.03

       

MDD

 

107,4 (21,1)

101,4 (14,5)

.16

       

BD

NEO-PI-R Conscientiousness

88,7 (17,9)

106,0 (21,0)

−.41

       

MDD

 

94,4 (22,7)

108,6 (21,8)

−.30

       

BD

NEO-PI-R Agreeableness

118,5 (18,3)

119,0 (18,9)

−.01

       

MDD

 

124,0 (15,6)

119,2 (15,4)

.15

Faraone et al. (2009) [56]

127

53

36.1 (10.8)

Psychiatric clinics and advertisements

123

46

29.9 (9.0)

Community

TCI Harm Avoidance

59,5 (13,5)

52,7 (9,95)

.26,

        

TCI Self-directedness

61,3 (13,5)

80,2 (9,4)

−.57

        

TCI Reward Dependence

67,4 (10,7)

72,0 (9,5)

−.20

        

TCI Self-transcendence

52,4 (16,8)

48,6 (16,2)

.12

        

TCI Novelty seeking

64,2 (10,6)

53,2 (7,2)

.53

        

TCI Persistence

63,1 (12,2)

72,9 (10,0)

−.33

        

TCI Cooperativeness

75,6 (10,0)

80,2 (9,2)

−.23

Jacob et al. (2016) [51]

Male 441

50

34.5 (10.2)

Psychiatric clinic

80

No information

No information

Reference values male

TPQ Harm Avoidance

18,2 (7,1)

14,7 (6,4)

.25

Female 440

50

34.5 (10.2)

Psychiatric clinic

80

No information

No information

Reference values female

 

20,9 (6,7)

16,3 (6)

.34

        

TPQ Reward Dependence

16,1 (4,5)

14,8 (4,7)

.14

         

18,6 (4,2)

17,5 (4,7)

.12

        

TPQ Novelty seeking

19,5 (5,7)

12,8 (5,8)

.50

         

19 (5,9)

15,1 (4,6)

.34

Male 426

 

34.5 (10.2) Total

Psychiatric clinic

4219

No information

No information

Reference values male

NEO-PI-R Neuroticism

108,7 (24,6)

84,2 (22,5)

.46

Female 432

34.5 (10.2) Total

Psychiatric clinic

7505

No information

No information

Reference values female

 

122,6 (25,1)

95 (23,3)

.50

        

NEO-PI-R Extraversion

100,1 (21,6)

109,6 (20,4)

−.22

         

100,3 (23,7)

111 (19,5)

−.24

        

NEO-PI-R Openness

109,4 (19,1)

120,4 (20,1)

−.27

         

114,2 (21,2)

125,7 (18,6)

−.28

         

NEO-PI-R Conscientiousness

92,3 (21,2)

114,1 (20,7)

−.46

         

89,9 (22,8)

113,8 (19,7)

−.49

        

NEO-PI-R Agreeableness

107,7 (16,9)

108,6 (17,3)

−.03

         

116 (16,1)

114,9 (16,4)

.03

Koerting (2016) [52]

30

43

33.5 (8.8)

Psychiatric clinic

30

43

28.2 (7.0)

Community

NEO-PI-R Neuroticism;

2,4 (0,4)

1,8 (0,4)

.58

        

NEO-PI-R Extraversion

2,1 (0,4)

2,3 (0,3)

−0.46

        

NEO-PI-R Openness

2,5 (0,4)

2,5 (0,3)

−0.30

        

NEO-PI-R Conscientiousness

1,6 (0,5)

2,5 (0,4)

−0.01

        

NEO-PI-R Agreeableness

2,3 (0,3)

2,4 (0,3)

0.11

        

DAPP-BQ Emotional Dysregulation

2,7 (0,5)

2,1 (0,4)

.52

        

DAPP-BQ Inhibitedness

2,5 (0,4)

2,0 (0,3)

.56

        

DAPP-BQ Compulsivity

2,6 (0,7)

3,0 (0,6)

−.31

        

DAPP-BQ DissocialBehavior

2,5 (0,4)

2,3 (0,4)

.32

Nigg et al. (2002) [17]

88

38

21.6 (3.9)

University disability office and advertisements

26

No information

No information

Community

NEO-FFI Neuroticism

26,4 (8,7)

19,2 (7,3)

.41

        

NEO-FFI Extraversion

32 (7,2)

31,3 (4,7)

.06

        

NEO-FFI Openness to experience

31,6 (5,8)

30,7 (5,9)

.08

        

NEO-FFI Conscientiousness

22,3 (7,6)

34,6 (5,2)

−.69

        

NEO-FFI Agreeableness

29,7 (6)

33,3 (5,9)

−.29

Knouse (2013) [46]

117

50

42.8 (11.0)

Hospital

1539

No information

No information

Reference values

NEO FFI Neuroticism

26,3 (8,2)

19,1 (7,7)

.41

        

NEO-PI-R Extraversion

28,5 (6,4)

27,7 (5,8)

.07

        

NEO-PI-R Openness

31,3 (6,5)

27,0 (5,8)

.33

        

NEO-PI-R Conscientiousness

19,7 (6,7)

34,6 (5,9)

−.76

        

NEO-PI-R Agreeableness

31,7 (6,5)

32,8 (5,0)

−.10

Sizoo et al. (2009) [57]

53

68

31.4 (9.9)

Center developmental disorders

657

No information

No information

Expected population norms (T-score)

VTCI Harm Avoidance

55,2 (11,4)

50 (10)

.24

        

VTCI Self-directedness

34,8 (14,8)

50,0 (10,0)

−.52

        

VTCI Reward Dependence

50,3 (10,9)

50,0 (10,0)

.14

        

VTCI Self-transcendence

53,7 (10,8)

50,0 (10,0)

.18

        

VTCI Novelty seeking

61,3 (9,6)

50,0 (10,0)

.50

        

VTCI Persistence

50,5 (10,7)

50,0 (10,0)

.02

        

VTCI Cooperativeness

46,1 (13,4)

50,0 (10,0)

.16

Steinhausen et al (2013) [53]

30

No information

No information

Parents with ADHD of children with ADHD

34

50

44.7 (5.4)

Parents of children with ADHD

NEO-FFI Neuroticism

2,2 (0,8)

1,5 (0,6)

.44

        

NEO-FFI Extraversion

2,2 (0,7)

2,4 (0,5)

−0.16

        

NEO-FFI Openness to experience

2,3 (0,5)

2,4 (0,4)

−0.11

        

NEO-FFI Conscientiousness

2,4 (0,6)

2,9 (0,5)

−0.41

        

NEO-FFI Agreeableness

2,5 (0,5)

2,6 (0,4)

−0.11

Perroud (2016) [58]

119

69

37.3 (11.0)

ADHD center

403

63

45.5 (12.7)

Blood donors

TCI Harm Avoidance

18,3 (8,1)

12,7 (6,2)

.36

        

TCI Self-directedness

21,9 (8,5)

34,5 (5,8)

−.65

        

TCI Reward Dependence

14,2 (4,0)

14,6 (3,8)

−.05

        

TCI Self-transcendence

15,3 (6,8)

13,5 (6,3)

.14

        

TCI Novelty seeking

23 (5,9)

18,8 (5,6)

.34

        

TCI Persistence

4,8 (2,0)

4,8 (2,0)

.00

        

TCI Cooperativeness

30,5 (7,4)

33,5 (5)

−.23

Sizoo et al. (2015) [59]

53

66

32.1 (11.4)

Center developmental disorders

399

No information

No information

Expected population norms (T-scores)

VTCI Harm Avoidance

55,7 (11,4)

50,0 (10,0)

.26

        

VTCI Self-directedness

34,4 (14,7)

50,0 (10,0)

−.53

        

VTCI Reward Dependence

50 (10,7)

50,0 (10,0)

.00

        

VTCI Self-transcendence

53,8 (10,8)

50,0 (10,0)

.18

        

VTCI Novelty seeking

60,9 (9,7)

50,0 (10,0)

.48

        

VTCI Persistence

50,6 (10,7)

50,0 (10,0)

.03

        

VTCI Cooperativeness

45,9 (13,2)

50,0 (10,0)

−.17

Anckarsater et al. (2006)

100

No information

No information

 

1300

No information

No information

Expected population norms (T-scores)

TCI Harm Avoidance

63,4 (12,1)

50,0 (10,0)

.51

        

TCI Self-directedness

29 (12,5)

50,0 (10,0)

−.68

        

TCI Reward Dependence

46,2 (12,5)

50,0 (10,0)

−.16

        

TCI Self-transcendence

55,1 (12,9)

50,0 (10,0)

.22

        

TCI Novelty seeking

59,2 (10,9)

50,0 (10,0)

.40

        

TCI Persistence

50,2 (10,1)

50,0 (10,0)

.01

        

TCI Cooperativeness

35,2 (17,5)

50,0 (10,0)

−.46

  1. Note: TCI Temperament and Character Inventory, NEO FFI NEO Five Factor Inventory, NEO-PI-R The Revised NEO Personality Inventory, TPQ Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, DAPP-BQ Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology, Brief Questionnaire, VTCI The brief Dutch version of the Temperament and Character Inventory, BD Bipolar Disorder, MDD Major Depressive Disorder
  2. aTotal number including ADHD
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BMC Psychiatry

ISSN: 1471-244X

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