RETRACTED: Sluggish Cognitive Tempo, Internalizing Symptoms, and Executive Function in Adults With ADHD

Abstract

Objective: Symptoms of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) have been considered a potential subset of symptoms of ADHD, predominantly inattentive presentation (ADHD-I), or as a separate but related symptom dimension. We sought to characterize the relationships between SCT and both internalizing symptoms and executive functioning in adults with ADHD. Method: One hundred two adults diagnosed with ADHD completed clinical interviews and clinical rating scales. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to ascertain the independent predictive power of SCT symptoms for executive dysfunction after considering ADHD inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms and internalizing symptoms. Results: SCT was correlated with ADHD inattentive symptoms and dimensional measures of depression and anxiety symptoms, but not with clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorder. SCT was independently predictive of executive function deficits over and above the effects of internalizing and ADHD symptoms. Conclusion: SCT in adults is associated with internalizing symptoms, ADHD inattentive symptoms, and, independently, with executive function deficits, particularly organization and problem solving. (J. of Att. Dis. XXXX; XX(X) XX-XX)

Sluggish cognitive tempo in adults: Psychometric validation of the Adult Concentration Inventory.

“…The extant evidence suggests that SCT is associated with poorer functioning in adulthood. Specifically, consistent with findings of studies conducted with children, studies conducted with adults have found SCT in adults to be associated with greater internalizing symptoms (Becker, Langberg, et al, 2014; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017; Wood et al, 2017) and emotion regulation difficulties (Barkley, 2012; Flannery, Becker, et al, 2016; Jarrett et al, 2017; Wood et al, 2017). It thus appears that SCT is uniquely associated with poorer socio-emotional adjustment, although replication in a young adult population and extension to other domains of socio-emotional functioning (e.g., self-esteem, loneliness) is needed to more fully understand the impact of SCT on adjustment and to guide intervention development.…”

“…Studies conducted with children generally demonstrate ADHD-IN symptoms to be more consistently and strongly associated than SCT symptoms with ratings of daily life EF, though SCT has been measured differently across these studies (Araujo Jiménez et al, 2015; Barkley, 2013; Becker & Langberg, 2014; Tamm, Brenner, Bamberger, & Becker, 2016). In contrast, studies with adults that have all used Barkley’s nine-item measure of SCT indicate that SCT and ADHD-IN may be similarly related to overall deficits in daily life EF (Flannery, Luebbe, & Becker, 2016; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017; Wood et al, 2017), with some differences emerging for specific EF domains. Three studies found ADHD-IN symptoms to be more strongly associated than SCT with motivation and time-management domains of EF, whereas SCT symptoms were found to be more strongly associated than ADHD-IN with self-regulation of emotion (Barkley, 2012; Jarrett et al, 2017; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017).…”

“…In contrast, studies with adults that have all used Barkley’s nine-item measure of SCT indicate that SCT and ADHD-IN may be similarly related to overall deficits in daily life EF (Flannery, Luebbe, & Becker, 2016; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017; Wood et al, 2017), with some differences emerging for specific EF domains. Three studies found ADHD-IN symptoms to be more strongly associated than SCT with motivation and time-management domains of EF, whereas SCT symptoms were found to be more strongly associated than ADHD-IN with self-regulation of emotion (Barkley, 2012; Jarrett et al, 2017; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017). These three studies found mixed evidence for SCT and ADHD-IN being similarly or differentially related the self-organization/problem-solving and self-restraint domains (Barkley, 2012; Jarrett et al, 2017; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017).…”

“…Three studies found ADHD-IN symptoms to be more strongly associated than SCT with motivation and time-management domains of EF, whereas SCT symptoms were found to be more strongly associated than ADHD-IN with self-regulation of emotion (Barkley, 2012; Jarrett et al, 2017; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017). These three studies found mixed evidence for SCT and ADHD-IN being similarly or differentially related the self-organization/problem-solving and self-restraint domains (Barkley, 2012; Jarrett et al, 2017; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017).…”

Sluggish cognitive tempo and personality: Links to BIS/BAS sensitivity and the five factor model

“…For instance, it has been shown that SCT is not best included as part of a general disruptive behavior factor (Lee et al, 2016). Rather, SCT is more strongly associated with internalizing symptoms than with externalizing behaviors (Becker et al, 2016), and SCT symptoms are associated with increased anxiety/depressive symptoms in adults (Becker, Burns, et al, 2018; Becker, Langberg, et al, 2014; Kamradt et al, 2017; Leikauf & Solanto, 2017; Wood, Lewandowski, et al, 2017). Studies of adults, primarily conducted in college students, have also found SCT symptoms to be associated with increased social withdrawal/isolation and loneliness, lower self-esteem, greater emotion dysregulation, suicide risk, and poorer sleep quality (Barkley, 2012; Becker, Burns, et al, 2018; Becker, Holdaway, et al, 2018; Becker, Luebbe, et al, 2014; Flannery, Becker, et al, 2016; Jarrett et al, 2017).…”