The frequency of childhood maltreatment experiences in a national Canadian sample of adult women reporting a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Canning, Chelsea (2022) The frequency of childhood maltreatment experiences in a national Canadian sample of adult women reporting a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This study examined the reported frequency of childhood maltreatment (sexual and physical abuse) in adult women reporting a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health (CCHS-MH) (2012), a sample of 402 women who reported being diagnosed with ADHD by a health professional was compared to a sample of age-matched women not reporting a diagnosis of ADHD on the frequency that they experienced different forms of physical and sexual abuse. Group comparisons were conducted using Pearson’s chi-square and effect sizes were assessed with Cramer’s V. The results of the study showed that women reporting a diagnosis of ADHD reported experiencing all forms of childhood maltreatment significantly more frequently than women not reporting a diagnosis of ADHD. The implications of these findings along with directions for future research are discussed.

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