Assessing functional cognition in adult students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder using the Daily Living Questionnaire

Talia Maeir; Noam Tzionit; Nir Shalev; Ayelet N Landau

doi:10.1080/09638288.2025.2575870

Assessing functional cognition in adult students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder using the Daily Living Questionnaire

Disabil Rehabil. 2025 Oct 21:1-10. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2575870. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Talia Maeir¹, Noam Tzionit¹, Nir Shalev^{2

3}, Ayelet N Landau^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology and Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
² Department of Gerontology, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
³ The Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
⁴ Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK.

PMID: 41121715
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2575870

Abstract

Purpose: Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurocognitive disorder that impairs functioning across multiple domains. There is a need for tools that assess how cognitive difficulties in ADHD affect daily functioning. This study evaluates the DLQ as a measure of functional cognition in a sample of university students with ADHD.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study with 64 university students (34 with ADHD, 27 controls; 57% female; mean age = 24.94 ± 3.9). Participants completed self-report measures of ADHD symptoms (ASRS), emotional distress (DASS-21), and functional cognition (DLQ). Group differences were analyzed, and regression models examined the unique contribution of ADHD symptoms and emotional distress to variance in DLQ scores.

Results: Adults with ADHD reported significantly greater functional cognitive difficulties across all DLQ subscales. The DLQ distinguished between ADHD and control groups with 75% classification accuracy. ADHD symptoms accounted for 42% of the variance in DLQ scores, while emotional distress was not a significant contributor.

Conclusions: The DLQ is a valid and informative tool for assessing functional cognition in adults with ADHD. These findings highlight the importance of addressing functional cognition as a key component in supporting this population. The DLQ may inform assessment and guide targeted interventions to improve functional outcomes.

Keywords: Attention-Deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Functional cognition; assessment; daily living Questionnaire; emotional distress; executive functions; self-report questionnaire.

Plain language summary

The Daily Living Questionnaire (DLQ) is a valid tool for assessing functional cognition in adult students with adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), effectively differentiating between students with and without ADHD.Although cognitive challenges in ADHD are often considered mild, their impact on daily life is moderate to severe—sometimes greater than in other health conditions with mild cognitive impairment.Adult students with ADHD experience significant functional cognitive challenges that affect daily life, highlighting the need for targeted support in clinical settings to promote well-being and optimal functioning across various life contexts.The limited role of emotional distress compared to the strong impact of ADHD symptoms on functional cognition underscores the centrality of addressing ADHD-related cognitive challenges as a core focus of rehabilitation efforts.