The relationship between trait emotional intelligence and ADHD symptoms in adolescents and young adults

The present study examined the association between trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and ADHD symptomatology in samples of 1388 adolescents (ages 14-17 years) and 3313 young adults (ages 18-24 years). Consistent with the notion that difficulties in emotion processing and affect regulation are important features of ADHD, TEI was found to be a moderate to strong predictor in both samples. The TEI dimensions of stress management and adaptability uniquely predicted both hyperactivity-impulsive and inattentive symptomatology for both samples. Implications are discussed in terms of the usefulness of the TEI framework for enhancing understanding of the socio-emotional difficulties associated with ADHD symptoms and for informing interventions and coping strategies.