The Relationship between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms and Addiction Potential in Individuals with Substance Dependence: The Mediating Role of Executive Functions and Emotion Self-Regulation

The present research was conducted to determine the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms and addiction potential in individuals with substance dependence by examining the mediating role of executive functions and emotion self-regulation.

The method of the present research was descriptive-correlational of path analysis type. The statistical population of the study was all men referring to addiction treatment centers in the city of Mashhad in 2019. A total of 200 individuals were selected using a multi-stage random sampling method. The tools used in this research included the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-report Scale, the Addiction Potential Scale, the Emotion Self-regulation Scale, and the Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and path analysis.

The results showed that attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms had a significant direct and also a significant indirect effect via the subscales of self-organization/problem-solving of the executive functions and emotion self-regulation on addiction potential. In sum, the results showed that the model had appropriate fit.

These results show that symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity have an important role in addiction potential by affecting the executive functions of self-organization/problem-solving, as well as emotion self-regulation. These results can have implications for designing preventive interventions against addiction in vulnerable individuals based on strengthening executive functions.