ADHD symptoms and personality: relationships with the five-factor model

This study examined the relationship between ADHD symptoms and basic personality in a large sample of adults (122 men and 465 women). Participants completed the DSM-IV ADHD Scales from the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) as well as the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Collectively, the five scales on the NEO-FFI accounted for substantial amounts of variability in ADHD symptoms. Although previous research on personality and ADHD has focused primarily on extraversion and neuroticism, the present study found that agreeableness and conscientiousness were stronger predictors. This pattern of results is consistent with the clinical literature on adults with ADHD.