Insomnia severity only partially mediates the relationship between ADHD traits and lower quality of life in adults
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, July 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are associated with lower quality of life (QoL) in adults, and this association is only partially mediated by insomnia severity, according to a study published online July 15 in BMJ Mental Health.
Siddhi Nair, from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, and colleagues investigated whether disruption of self-reported sleep and circadian factors mediate the associations of ADHD traits with depression symptom severity and QoL. Analysis included 1,364 adult participants surveyed as part of the Netherlands Sleep Registry.
The researchers found that higher ADHD traits were significantly associated with depression symptom severity, lower QoL, insomnia severity, lower sleep quality, and later chronotype. The association of the severity of symptoms of ADHD and depression was not significantly mediated by any sleep or circadian factor. Only insomnia severity significantly mediated the association between ADHD traits and QoL (Satisfaction With Life Scale: standardized β = −0.10; Cantril Ladder: standardized β = 0.103).
“We know that sleep disruption can impact neurobehavioral and cognitive systems, including attention and emotional regulation,” senior author Sarah L. Chellappa, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., also from the University of Southampton, said in a statement. “At the same time, sleep disruption may arise from ADHD-related impulsivity and hyperactivity, suggesting a reinforcing cycle between sleep disorders and ADHD.”
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