Background: studies are trying to differentiate two disorders, Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Sluggish cognitive tempo, due to their similarities. In this regard, the present study was conducted with the aim of comparing self-regulation and substance use tendencies in adolescents with and without symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or sluggish cognitive tempo.
Methods: The study was in the frame of Causal Comparative design. The statistical population includes parents and adolescents aged 13 to 17 years with the symptoms of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, sluggish cognitive tempo and normal adolescents in Karaj in 2022. The method of sampling was available and using it, 150 people (50 with attention deficit/hyperactivity, 50 with sluggish cognitive tempo and 50 normal adolescents) were selected. The tools of data collection were the Rating of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Inventory, Adolescent Self-Regulatory Inventory, and Addiction Susceptibility Questionnaire-Adolescent Version. Finally, the data were analyzed using the analysis of variance and Sheffe's post hoc test.
Results: The findings showed that the self-regulation scores are respectively and significantly lower in the attention deficit/hyperactivity group, the sluggish cognitive tempo group, and the normal group (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in the scores of substance use tendency between adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and with sluggish cognitive tempo; But the difference between the two groups compared to normal adolescents was significant.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that adolescents with and without symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or sluggish cognitive tempo are different in terms of self-regulation and substance use tendencies.
