Social Psychiatry, Vol. 54 No. 2, 2026.
Meeting abstract
https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2026.362
Cognitive Functioning and Attention in Adults With Suspected ADHD
Dubravka Galez Mihaldinec
; Poliklinika Golden Mind, Crnojezerska 14, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Prijatelj
; Department of Psychology, University of Zadar, Šime Vitasovića 1, 23000 Zadar, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The aim of the study was to describe the profile
of cognitive functioning and attention in adults
assessed for suspected attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD). The analysis included
11 adults, 6 men and 5 women, aged 19 to 36
years (M = 29.91; SD = 5.87). Cognitive functioning
was assessed using selected subtests of
the WAIS-IV-HR, namely the Working Memory
Index (WMI) and the Processing Speed Index
(PSI), and focused attention was assessed with
the d2-R test through the concentration performance
score (CP), number of processed target
items (TN), and work accuracy (E%). The clinical
assessment of ADHD was based on the DIVA 2.0
interview. Descriptive and exploratory analyses
were conducted. Measures of central tendency
and dispersion were calculated, as well as frequencies and percentages. Associations between
age, WAIS-IV-HR indices, and d2-R indicators
were examined using Spearman correlations.
According to DIVA 2.0, 9 participants met the
criteria for ADHD in adulthood, in one participant
ADHD was not confirmed, and in one the
status remained undetermined. The mean WMI
was 97.27 (SD = 12.93), and the mean PSI was
99.09 (SD = 16.19), indicating average functioning
with individual variability. Most participants
achieved average normative values on the d2-R
indicators CP (90.9%), TN (81.8%), and E%
(81.8%). A significant positive association was
found between PSI and TN (ρ = 0.762; p = .006)
and CP (ρ = 0.712; p = .014), as well as between
CP and TN (ρ = 0.740; p = .009). WMI was not
significantly associated with d2-R indicators. The
findings indicate a heterogeneous profile among
adults assessed for suspected ADHD. Although
DIVA 2.0 identified clinically significant symptoms
in most participants, results on structured
measures of working memory, processing speed,
and attention were often in the average range.
This suggests that intact test performance does
not rule out ADHD in adulthood, especially when
difficulties are more prominently manifested in
everyday organization, sustaining attention, and
self-regulation. The results should be interpreted
with caution due to the small sample, retrospective
design, and absence of a control group.
Keywords
adult ADHD; cognitive functioning; working memory; processing speed; attention
Hrčak ID:
353121
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2026.
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