Theory of Mind in ADHD. A Proposal to Improve Working Memory through the Stimulation of the Theory of Mind

Theory of mind in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

INTRODUCTION

Theory of mind (TM) is involved in social cognition, as it evaluates our ability to impute our mental states to the others in order to predict and explain behaviour. In the literature, it has been noticed that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show some impairments of TM when compared with children not neurodevelopmental impaired. Our goal in this study was to compare the TM in two groups: schooler children with normal development and schooler children with ADHD.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 35 children, aged between 6 and 12 years, were recruited: 17 with ADHD and 18 not neurodevelopmental impaired. TM was evaluated using an assessment method validated for the Portuguese population: Turtle on the Island-Battery of Assessment of Executive Functions in Children.

RESULTS

We obtained two comparable groups concerning sociodemographic data. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding TM.

CONCLUSION

The TM assessment in Portuguese children did not reveal significant impairment regarding this cognitive skill in children with ADHD.

Implications of the Online Teaching Model Derived from the COVID-19 Lockdown Situation for Anxiety and Executive Functioning in Spanish Children and Adolescents

Given the seriousness of the existing situation regarding the mental health of children and adolescents relating to the confinement period imposed due to COVID-19, we conducted this study to describe the effects of the confinement on state anxiety and executive functioning dimensions in a period of online educational modality. A sample of 953 children and adolescents was assessed. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the State Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), and the Behavioral Evaluation of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) scale were applied. The analysis of the results indicates that 68.8% of children and adolescents presented medium–high levels of anxiety. Regarding sex, females showed higher levels of anxiety and worse levels of executive functioning. Although the group aged 11 to 18 years showed methodologically higher state anxiety (p = 0.041) than the group aged 6 to 10 years, the difference was not clinically relevant (δ = −0.113). The state anxiety variable was also correlated positively and significantly to the three executive functioning dimensions explored. In conclusion, it seems evident that COVID-19 lockdowns could have psychological and emotional effects on children and adolescents.