Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Digital Hoarding in College Students

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to have high rates of comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders. Hoarding disorder (HD) is one of those that have been shown to co-occur with ADHD and may particularly relate to inattentive symptoms. Digital hoarding, a phenomenon that has drawn attention in the past decade, refers to the accumulation of digital items to the point of disorganization and stress. Unlike “regular” hoarding, the relationship between digital hoarding and ADHD appears to be unstudied. The current research examined the relationship between digital hoarding behaviors and ADHD in a sample of undergraduate students. 874 students were recruited through the psychology participant pools from nine regionally diverse universities in the United States. Participants completed self-report measures focused on ADHD, digital hoarding behaviors, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety sensitivity, and general anxiety. It was found that inattentive symptoms present in ADHD, but not hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, predicted digital hoarding behaviors independent of OCD symptoms, anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity.<p></p>